REPORTOFACWWAREAPRESIDENT

OFSOUTHEASTASIAANDTHEFAREASTI. Pahang,Malaysia

KuantanisthecapitalcityofPahang.LocatedattheEastpartofPeninsulaMalaysia.8thOctober2017,ACWWAreaPresidentwithfourmembersofPerwariarrivedatKuantanAirportSultanAhmadSyah.TheladiesofW.IPahangheadedbyDatoHjHamimahAbdulKarimwelcomedusattheairportandbroughtustoShahzanInnHotel(thehotelofPrincessAzizah).Therewespentthreenightsandfourdays.PrincessAzizahwasoutofthecountry,becauseastheCrownPrincessofPahang,shewasverybusy.ShewasreplacedbyDatoHj.HamimahAbdulKarim.IntheafternoonW.IPahanginvitedustoamarriagepartynearthehotelwherewestayed.ThefirsteveningtheladiesofW.IPahangarrangedaWelcomeDinnerfortheAreaPresidentbyMrs.TengkuAsidahatMegaViewHotel.IgaveashortspeechaboutACWWandafterthatalltheW.IPahangladiespresentedsinginganddancing/Poco–Poco.Weleftat12.00P.M.9thOctober2017,WevisitedtheW.IPahangNeedleWorkCenterandCharityShoppeatBandarInderaMahkota.TherewegotashortbriefingbyHjh.PuanNoriah(HeadoftheNeedleCenter)aboutthesewingprogrammeandCharityShoppe.Wemetstudents(allwomen)whocamefrompoorfamilieslearningsewing.Theylearnedforeightmonths,fivedaysaweektilltheycouldsewclothes,bagsandotherthings.Thedaywhenwearrivedtheywerebusysewingladiesbagsfromleftovercottontextiles.Theymadeitverywell.WhattheyweresewingwasallprovidedbytheNeedleCenter.AllwomenwholearnedattheCentercouldlearnforfree.TheNeedleCenterwasfoundedbyPrincessAzizahon12December2006.AbouttheCharityShoppe,everyonemightbringandtakeawayforfreethethingstheyneeded,evenneworsecond.TheCharityShoppereceivedfromeveryonewhodidn’tneedthingsforexample:clothes,bags,shoesandotherthingsevenneworsecond.So,theCharityShoppedistributedtoeveryonewhoneededthethings.WealsovisitedTunkuAzizahKitchenStudioatIKIP,itisunderafoundation.TherewelearnedtocookMalaysiantraditionalfoodswhichismostlikeIndonesiantraditionalfood,butweenjoyeditverymuch.ThemostinterestingoccasionwastomakeandbakeourownPizzawiththereceiptfromtheKitchenStudio.Atlunchallwhatwehavecookedinthekitchenwereonthetable,weallenjoyedit.10thOctober2017,wevisitedPusatTenunDiraja(King’sInstituteforWeavings)atPekan.Therewesawhowtoweaveandhowtomakewovenproducts.OnepartofthePusatTenunDirajaconsistofwovenproducts

fromAsia.TheladiesofW.IPekanaccompaniedus.AfterthatwewenttotheMuzium(Museum)SultanAbuBakar,therewegoteverythingwewanttoknowaboutPahang.Mr.AhmadFaridAbdulJalal,DIMPtheHeadoftheMuseumgaveusaself-writtenbookaboutIslaminPahang.HegaveusalsosomeotherbooksaboutIslam.OnthewaytotheMuseumwealsovisitedanewmosqueofPrincessAzizah.InoneroomoftheMosquewecouldreadthebiographyofPrincessAzizah.OnthewayfromtotheMuseumwetookpicturesinfrontoftheking’spalaceandthePolo-driveofthekingandfamily.DinnerforACWWAreaPresidentwasprovidedbythewifeoftheMinisterof“SumberDayaManusiaMalaysia“(MinisterofManpowerMalaysia),DatinSriDatoHj.FatimahBTEKassimDIMPatGrandMakmurHotel.11thOctober2017,thelastdayinKuantan,inthemorningwewenttovisitMuseumSungaiLembingthattoldusaboutraw-tinmininginthetimewhenraw-tinwasthemainproductofPahang.LunchatAnjungwhichwasprovidedbyamanofthelocalparliamentfortheACWWAreaPresident.AfterthatwewenttotheairportwiththeladiesofW.IPahangtowhoarrangedourbagageThesecretaryofW.IPahangMrs.OngChengImmwasinLondonbutshecamethesecondday,sheflewtoPahangandjoinus.TheW.IPahangdidtheirjobverywellandletusknewtheiractivities.

II. BruneiDarussalam

TheladiesofBruneicametotheairportofBandarSeriBegawantowelcomeus(onlytwoofus)TheprogrammeinBruneiwasnotsoformalasinPahang.Wespentthereforfourdays,from18thOctober–21stOctober2017.ThefirstdaywerestatthehotelandthedayafterwetookaridearoundtoseeBruneiandvisitthenewbridgewhichwasopenedtwodaysbeforewearrived.Thethird

day,wevisitedtheHeadquartersofW.IBruneiDarussalam.Thebuildingisnotsobigandlikeotherhousesinthatareathehousesarewithpillars,upstairsforofficeandbelowforparking.TheladiesofBruneiheadedbyMrs.HjShamsiahFormerAreaPresident.ThebuildingwasgivenbytheSultan,KingsofBruneiDarussalam.WhenwewereinBruneihecelebratedhisGoldenJubilee.Sothetownisdressesupwithflagsandbanners.ThecelebrationoftheGoldenJubileelastforamonth.MostoftheladiesofWIBruneiwaspresentattheHeadquarters.ButitwasagreatsurpriseforusbecauseMrs.DatoUrsulaGoh,formerWorldPresidentofACWW,cameearlierandwelcomeduswiththeladiesofBrunei.ItsurprisedusbecauseDatoUrsulaGohcamefromMiriSarawak,Malaysiawiththreeotherladiesbycar(aboutthreehoursride)tomeettheAreaPresident.Itwasveryhonorableforus,especiallyme.Inherspeechshesaidthatshespecialcametomeetme,wekneweachotherlongtimeagofrom1973inKuchingbeforewejoinedACWW.InmyshortspeechIthankandappreciatedherandtheotherladiesofSarawakforcomingsofartomeetus,andthemeetingwasveryinteresting.ThedayafterwewenttotheairporttogobacktoJakartaaccompaniedbytheladiesofW.IBruneiDarussalam.