KOTA KINABALU: In conjunction with the fasting month of Ramadan Yayasan Islam, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) is distributing food and cash to the needy all over the State.
Spokesperson for the organisation Goldie Datuk Aloysius Sibidol said they had carried out these activities since its inception, with his participation starting in 1988 upon being appointed by the organisation President Tan Sri Harris Salleh as its Secretary General.
According to him, the needy were usually orphans, single parents and the impoverished, most of whom came into their attention through personal information as well as from the Welfare Department.
“This year, we are looking into assisting the needy, especially those impacted badly by the pandemic. This includes loss of jobs and income. We are also looking into helping fire and flood victims.”
“We try to help as many people as we can, with as much as we can. But of course, this also depends on the availability of funds,” he shared.
According to him, requests and applications for donations could also be forwarded to him personally, and they would be looked into in a meeting for approval and further action.
Firmly believing in giving without public exposure, he stressed that he was just happy to help the needy in any of his capacity, according to affordability.
He also shared that he was currently trying to build a mosque, called ‘Pusat Community Islam’ in Penampang.
“I have ‘wakaf’ a piece of land to build the mosque on. The building cost RM13.5 million. Due to insufficient funds, the construction is ongoing,” he shared. – Anna Vivienne
