PETALING JAYA, June 1 (Bernama) -- Cerebral palsy-afflicted Tan Chin Chin, 26, may have won Universiti Sains Malaysias (USM) highest award for best student, the Chancellor Gold Medal Award, but that gritty achievement in 2006 would not have been possible if not for the help of her university mates.
It was neighbour and good friend, Jameyah Sheriff, who helped Chin Chin to apply for medical aid at the university when they both were accepted into USM.
Jameyah even opted to study for the same degree in Social Science majoring in Development Planning and Management just to be around to help Chin Chin when the need arose.
And as for Azwani Mansor, she stayed a floor above Chin Chin in the students hostel. She came down to help whenever Chin Chin texted her on the mobile phone.
What Jameyah and Azwani did during their four years together at USM in Penang touched the hearts of many and did not go unnoticed.
Last Friday they were honoured by Sin Chew Daily for their love and care for Chin Chin without any reservations about race or religion and received the "Da Ai" (love towards mankind) awards. Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen, the Minister of Women, Family and Community Development, attended the ceremony.
The President of the Selangor and Federal Territory Spastics Children's Association, Datuk Dr Lam Peng Chong, was also among the recipients of the Da Ai Award for his great love for spastics children of the country.
Also known as the "Father of the Spastics Children", he contributed a lot of his time and money in charity work, offering all kinds of therapy for spastics children for free in the last 43 years.
"We had never rejected any spastics child sent by the parents. We even provide transport to those who can't afford.
"For the past 40 years, we never had a single spastics child left behind by their parents and we want the parents to feel proud to have a special child," said Dr Lam.
Yusoff Hassans noble deed in donating seven parts of his late son's organs to those in need was also honoured.
His son's heart was donated to 14-year-old Tee Hui Yi, who now has a real heart from another donor in Johor Baharu, after the heart did not function too well after it was transplanted.
Yusoffs decision to donate his late son's organs has been described as having changed the thinking of many Malaysians on organ donation.
"Those who had passed away had passed away. If something can be donated to help those in need, then we have done a good deed.
"I hope the people of Malaysia will open up their eyes and not be against the donation of organs" said Yusoff, who hails from Sitiawan, Perak.
Datuk Dr Baba Md Deni from Mercy Malaysia who had been engaged in the natural disaster rescue and relief efforts in Afghanistan and Acheh was also honoured.
Speaking at receiving his award, he said, he hoped to be able to serve in Myanmar and Sichuan soon.
-- BERNAMA
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