Mejar Cina Datuk David Wong (left) presenting food aid given by Sultan Ibrahim to Fr Edward Rayappan. (Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar facebook)
By Gwen Manickam
Jul 12 2021
The Church of the Immaculate Conception (CIC), which has been running a food bank for the needy, received a muchneeded boost from the Sultan Ibrahim Foundation with a contribution of 300 boxes of food aid.
Parish Priest Fr Edward Rayappan said that his parish has been giving food aid to its community for over eight months and was now running low on supplies and funds.
“I learnt that the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart had received a few hundred boxes of basic food items from the Sultan Ibrahim Foundation, so I approached YB Mejar Cina Datuk David Wong, who is tasked with coordinating with the Sultan Ibrahim Foundation and other royal foundations, and he sent us the supplies.”
Fr Edward said he was confident that aid would come from the palace since CIC, the oldest church in the state at 138 years old, has a special place in the heart of the Johor Sultan, DYMM Sultan Ibrahim Almarhum Sultan Iskandar. In the late 1800s, the Sultan’s grandfather, Almarhum Sultan Abu Bakar, provided the land to build the church.
The parish’s Immaculate Conception Outreach to the Needy (ICON) committee works closely with BEC leaders to help identify those in need within their community, regardless of faith or ethnicity. The committee will determine how many families need the supplies, and if there are excess supplies, Fr Edward says it will be offered to other parishes in the vicinity.
Each box contains a 10kg bag of rice, some salt, instant noodles, canned milk, and other necessities. The church also has a budget of RM100 to RM300 for each family in dire need, which can be used to buy fresh food items such as vegetables and fish or to help pay utility bills.
The parish also helps obtain medication for diabetes, high blood pressure and other common ailments for the vulnerable. Supplies are funded either by government hospitals or the church.
“I believe we must help in a humane way and not just give food. Some of these people are unable to buy medicines since their children are stuck in Singapore, so we do our best. We continue to offer aid until the family is stable.” – Herald Malaysia
