| Syazwani Hj Rosli |
PEHIN Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, yesterday launched the ‘SMS Brunei Prihatin for the National Orphans Fund’ in an effort to make donating easier for members of the public to route their funds via SMS texting.
The launching ceremony took place at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports’ Digadong Hall.
Speaking during an interview with the media, the minister highlighted that there is an increase in public response to SMS donations and he urged members of the public to continue donating so as to seek blessings from Allah the Almighty during the holy month of Ramadhan.
The minister urged them to continue donating for noble causes and as part of their Ibadah as Muslims.
He also highlighted that Islam encourages Muslims to take care of orphans.
Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, officially launching the SMS Brunei Prihatin. PHOTOS: BAHYIAH BAKIR
Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, at the launch of SMS Prihatin
The minister added that such attention to these children, will enable them to grow like other fortunate children with parents.
“The ministry will continue to work together with relevant authorities particularly charitable associations, in improving our efforts in collecting funds and providing
welfare to these children,” the minister added.
The minister said he looks towards seeing more people utilising the SMS donation as part of their effort to ease the burden of the orphans as well as to raise the amount of donation collected than in the previous years.
The launching ceremony yesterday also saw a poetry performance titled ‘Tangisan Seorang Yatim Piatu’ (the tears of an orphan) by Wan Muhammad Hafiz bin Wan Habib, an Year 8 student from the Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Secondary School, who is also an orphan.
Both DST and Progresif Cellular users can now donate $1, $5, $10, $15 or $20 by texting YATIM followed by the amount to be donated and send it to 38111.
Last year, the SMS Brunei Prihatin for the National Orphans Fund managed to collect a total of $103,725.
Also present at the launching ceremony yesterday were the Permanent Secretaries at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports (MCYS), Dato Paduka Dr Haji Affendy bin Pehin Orang Kaya Saiful Mulok Dato Seri Paduka Haji Abidin and Datin Paduka Dr Hajah Norlila binti Dato Paduka Haji Abdul Jalil; Deputy Permanent Secretary at the MCYS, Haji Mohd Noor Jusmin bin Haji Abdul Samad; Acting Director of the Community Development Department (JAPEM), Hajah Noridah binti Abdul Hamid; Acting Director of Radio Televisyen Brunei (RTB), Pengiran Haji Mohari bin Pengiran Haji Abdul Rajak; Deputy General Manager of DST, Amir bin Pehin Datu Pekerma Bijaya Colonel (Rtd) Dato Paduka Haji Hussin; a member of the Board of Directors of Progresif, Edzwan Zukri bin Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Haji Adanan; directors and heads of departments of MCYS, senior officials from RTB, DST and Progresif Cellular Sdn Bhd.
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