Rotary welcomes new district governor

In-coming District Governor, Philip Chong [Left] with
District Governor Haji Andre Suharto

Members of Rotary International District 3310 witnessed the installation of the 2015 – 2016 District Governor (DG), Philip Chong Mau Kiong by Rotary District Governor Haji Andre Suharto at the 25^th Rotary District Assembly of District 3310 held in Johor Baru recently.  The newly installed DG who hails from Kudat, Sabah, is married to Len Nyuk and has 3 sons and 2 grandchildren.  A Past President of the Rotary Club of Likas Bay, Kota Kinabalu, Chong is a veteran businessman involved in mechanical and electrical contact work for the past 33 years.

Rotary International exists in more than 200 countries with 538 Districts, 34,000 clubs and over 1.2 million members.  It is an organisation that promotes local and international friendship of professionals and businesses to work together, advocating high ethical business practices, service to the community, international peace and understanding.  Rotary District 3310 covers Brunei Darussalam, Singapore, Johor, Malacca, Sabah and Sarawak with 62 clubs and a membership of 1,800 members.

It is Rotary International’s goal to get polio completely eradicated this year and Chong said that District 3310 is working to support this last dash to achieve a polio-free world.  On 23 Feb 2016, the date that marks the 111^th anniversary of Rotary International, a “Cycle for Polio” project to raise funds for polio eradication will be organised throughout the District.  In addition, on-going efforts are made to support the Avoidable Blindness project, especially in the rural areas in this District.

DG Andre Suharto [Left] installing the in-coming DG,
Philip Chong

Rotary’s youth extensions are the Rotaract Clubs for youths aged 18 to 30 and the Interact Clubs in schools.  The Sabah Invention and Design Exhibition (SINDEX) that promotes creativity and inventiveness among the youths, was co-founded by Chong and Tsen Kui Loi.  Through the SINDEX initiative, student participation has achieved acclaim both nationally and internationally.

The various Rotary clubs usually have their own signature projects, either organised on their own or shared with local agencies, NGOs or international partners.   In his term as District Governor, Chong aims to advance bursaries to needy students, in particular to high achievers in secondary schools.  They will be identified through local schools and the guidelines for the Rotary Bursary will be released in July 2015 through the Rotary clubs in the District.

“With the blessings we have received, it is not too much that we give back to the community and quoting the in-coming Rotary World President, K. Ravindran, to Be a Gift to the World,” said Chong.  He also called on fellow Rotarians, NGOs and members of the public to come forward to serve together to make this world a better place.  This year, Rotary International, under the current International President, Gary Huang, has introduced Rotary Day to bring Rotary closer to the general public, its beneficiaries and benefactors.

A version of this was published in The Malaysian Insider on 27 April 2015