Berjaya boss out to save 2,000 lives

Tan Sri Vincent Tan will have helped save 2,000 earthquake victims in Pakistan by the time this year's winter is over.

The Berjaya Group chairman's RM228,000 contribution to Peace Malaysia's South Asia Earthquake Victims Fund will help buy tents to keep victims alive when temperatures drop below zero soon.

Each RM570 tent will be able to accommodate five people.

Tan was prompted into action this morning after reading the New Straits Times' front-page report that it would take only RM114 to keep one earthquake victim alive this winter.

"When I read that it costs so little to save a life, I decided to do my bit," Tan said when met at his office here, where he presented a cheque to Peace Malaysia co-ordinator Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir.

He had earlier donated RM192,000 to the Pakistani Government to help victims of the Oct 8 earthquake.

Tan, also Berjaya chief executive officer, urged Malaysians to do their bit for the victims.

"To many Malaysians, RM114 is not a lot of money and if we can spare this amount to save one life, we should do it without a second thought," he said.

Tan commended Peace Malaysia for its initiative and hoped the aid would reach the victims fast.

Other donors today were New Straits Times Group editor-in-chief Datuk Kalimullah Hassan, who made a personal contribution of RM22,800 and Kamal Khalid, who gave RM1,140, to help shelter 200 and 10 victims respectively.

Mukhriz said Peace Malaysia hoped to raise at least RM1 million in the next month to help victims.

"We will be using 60 per cent of the funds to build temporary homes for victims and the remainder on blankets and medicines," he said.

He said Peace Malaysia was also looking at another option for housing - a RM612 (US$170) igloo-like structure that can accommodate five people.

He said two Pakistani professionals had come up with the unique design, known as an "Improvised Rapid All-Weather Shelter".

The Pakistani army had accepted a proposal by architect Hammad Husain and multinational firm senior official Umar Iqbal Khan to produce the structures.

"The houses will be shaped like igloos but instead of using ice blocks, we will be using bags similar to those used to pack cement. These will be filled with earth or debris and arranged as walls."

Mukhriz said the structure, with a roof of corrugated galvanised iron sheets, was inexpensive, water-resistant, and portable.

He said Peace Malaysia had also received donations from Umno Youth's Disaster Relief Fund (RM200,000), the Selangor Tithe Centre (RM30,000), the Maha Vihara Buddhist Association (RM5,000), and via SMS (RM17,000).

"A Pakistani friend in Japan, Iku Mohamed, had sent US$5,000 which he collected from friends there," Mukhriz said.

He said Peace Malaysia would send a second medical team to Pakistan on Nov 10. "The first team returned a few days ago," said Mukhriz, who visited Pakistan from Oct 20 to 25.

The public can send cheques made out to "Ehsan Mangsa Gempabumi Asia Selatan" to B-13-D2, Plaza Mont Kiara, No 2 Jalan Kiara, 50480 Kuala Lumpur.

They can also deposit cash directly into Bumiputra-Commerce Bank account number 14200-007719-055.

Alternatively, they can SMS a donation by typing GEMPA2 to donate RM2 and GEMPA5 to donate RM5. The SMS number is 39665.