Kajang, 15 Feb. 2017 – Islamic Relief Malaysia (IRM) today launched Pusat Bimbingan Alternatif, a designated alternative coaching space for the Rohingya community located in Taman Kajang Utama, Kajang, Selangor.

The centre, which is named Rohingya Integrated School of Excellence, is the first school established under IRM. To add, it is fully monitored by IRM.

The primary aim in establishing the school is to provide free educational services to the Rohingya minorities living in the vicinity of Selangor.

The centre is launched by Tan Sri Dr. Syed Hamid bin Syed Albar, the President of HUMANiTi Malaysia, who also serves as OIC’s special envoy to Myanmar.

Also presentduring the launching ceremony was Tn. Hj. Zairulshahfuddin Zainal Abidin, CEO of Islamic Relief Malaysia (IRM), Zaid Al-Rawni, CEO of Islamic Relief Canada, alongside IRM’spersonnel.

In his speech, Zairulshahfuddin said: “Education is a basic right belonging to every person. The future of these Rohingya children depends on how we educate them today. Realizing this, IRM is very determined to establish this aspirational school so that these unfortunate Rohingya children around Selangor will be able to enjoy education just like the others, as well as preparing them with basic skills for their future.“

 

About Rohingya Integrated School of Excellence (RISE)

According to Zairulshahfuddin, the school will operate Monday to Friday, beginning at 9 am to 3 pm daily.

Six curriculum subjects have been identified and will be given due emphasis in the centre’steaching and learning, which is English, Bahasa Melayu, Myanmar Language, Mathematics, Science and Islamic Education.

In addition to this, IRM conducts skills-based classes such as cooking, sewing and computer literacy at the centre. Class instructors and teachers are qualified local graduates and also, sourced from the Rohingya community themselves.

Besides that, to ensure that these Rohingya children continue to be in school, a special outreach programme named HOPE will be carried out each weekend. In this programme, fellow teachers, instructors, and volunteers altogether will visit the Rohingya communities and conduct outreach education activities especially for them.

“IRM has huge roles and responsibilities towards this school. IRM provides operational expenditure of the school such as teacher’s salary, and facilities rental, besides supplying school’s equipment and teaching aids for the purpose of classroom lessons.

 

Why IRM is reaching out to the Rohingya communities

According to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNCHR)an estimate of 150,000 Rohingya refugees are currently living in Malaysia. However, only 54,856 of the total are registered with UNCHR

Back home in Myanmar, the Rohingya are generally deprived from any basic rights such as property ownership and also education. They are not allowed to own land of house and they are also barred from enrolling into basic education. This has led to the unfortunate outcomes where 85% to 90% of the Rohingya population are reported to be illiterate.

Without the ability to access education, they are not able to read and write, even in their own mother’s tongue. A further unpropitious consequence of this is that they constantly face difficulty to secure jobs and to earn decent income for their livelihoods.

IRM has taken the initiative to help the Rohingya communities populating the Bandar Baru Bangi, Kajang, Serdang and Balakong area by establishing the Alternative Guidance Centre by featuring academic lessons tailored for the Rohingya children in the listed areas.

For further information, please visit our website at www.islamic-relief.org.myor you may contact us by telephone at 03-8926 3434.

 

Sabah, 10 Feb. 2017 – A group of 188 students from Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Kudat (SMK Kudat) is celebrated in a Cheer To School (CTS) programme organised by Islamic Relief Malaysia (IRM). Those who received the contributions on the day werefire victims of an unfortunate burnt down tragedy whichhad happened in the mid of 2016,last year.

The CTS programme is held annually. It is aimed to lighten the burden of underprivileged families in preparing their children at the start of every school year through distribution of school supplies package to these identified beneficiaries. Each package typically consists of school uniforms, a pair of shoes and socks, a school bag and a set of stationeries.

Joining the event on the day was Tuan David Ambang, Maybank Kudat branch manager, who happens to be our enthusiastic IRM volunteer, passionately supporting our activities in the Land Below the Wind.

Think Humanity, Think ISLAMIC RELIEF!

 

Rantau Panjang, 23 Jan. 2017 – The Emergency Operation Room (Bilik Gerakan Kecemasan, BGK) has been operating in the last few days to help the East Coast flood victims. To note, BGK has been established in 2015 by a group of IRM volunteers as our activity centre in the Rantau Panjang area. Many of these proactive volunteers are schoolteachers, civil servants among others.

BGK is now operating as a collection centre where the public can deliver their contributions or donations. It also doubles as a distributing centre of these amassed contributions to the flood victims. Islamic Relief Malaysia (IRM) has recently engaged with the Director of Social Welfare Department (JKM) for further actions regarding the current flood situation. Therefore, BGK is presently arranging the deployment of volunteers in our mission to assist JKM and National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA). BGK has been assigned to the SK Gual Tok Deh and SK Kubang Kua (Rantau Panjang) victim transit centres.

Currently, the states in the East Coast are experiencing the second wave of the flood. The haphazard rising of water levels has resulted in the second time relocation of the flood victims in just a few months after the first wave of the flood catastrophe hit the area. Following this incident, the Bilik Gerakan Kecemasan (BGK) operation continues to be on high alert until the end of January:

1.  BGK now operates 24 hours beginning two days ago until 26^th of January 2017. After that, it will return to 8am – 10pm operation daily.

2. It maintains its transit homestay concept for any NGO/Association that offers help or assistance services to the flood victims; to rest, arrange local coordination plans, and sleep for the night.

3. As we continue to assist state JKM, 6 volunteers at two of the transit centres take turn each at all time to support and manage flood victims arriving at the centre.

4. Breakfast is prepared by BGK for the entire flood victims currently hosted at the transit centre this morning.

5. The total beneficiaries to date are 389 families.

6. Packing and distributing of food supplies and adult/children disposable diapers at SK Tok Deh and SK Kubang Gual.

Follow the update from Islamic Relief Malaysia (IRM) for the latest information on the flood crisis from time to time.

To donate, please visit our website at https://www.islamic-relief.org.my/2018/2018/donate-now/index.php?mod=pages&opt=online. You can choose the Fund Special Appeal” category & click on the “Family Package-RM150” to contribute.