By C C Pung
Justice of Peace
It’s been weeks after floods hit Penampang and a number of other districts in Sabah.
I was happy being part of a Group of Lion members distributing relief equipment and tools to villagers in Pemampang where flood-deposited silt sill sits in many garages.
The money for stuff like high pressure pumps, hoses, shovels, etc came from the Lions Clubs International Foundation LCIF) which has money set aside to be applied for for disaster relief the world over.
Local lions clubs in Sabah and Sarawak also chipped in.
I joined lions in 1986.
The vest we wear resembles the vest worn by janitors of the city hall.
Lions means more, of course, but our inability or impatience in articulating our story and wider significance has meant that the unenlightened would dismiss us as a bunch who dressed for dinners often, display our vest and colours, and speak gibberish.
The fact that Lions is over 100 years old, is the biggest service organisation with more than 1.3million members in all corners of the world are seldom talked about or just waved off.
Yes, many people also gave to help the flood victims.
But equally many who should have given hadn’t done so.
My share if this Lions giving may be pittance.
But I gave to people I didn’t know and from them I expect no thank you. What’s more, I gave meaning to the vest that looks like that of a janitor.
And so did all my vest wearing fellow Lions braving the rain to hand out the relief.
Cheers to the Lions, and thank you to LCIF.
Lions gives without expectingexpecting anything in return
