PETALING JAYA: At the height of the Covid-19 outbreak last month, artist Chan Karwai visited a friend who was warded at Hospital Sungai Buloh.
The Star Media Newspaper
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2020/05/09/artist-helps-raise-funds-for-frontliners
While she was there, she saw how the family of a medical frontliner had to be physically separated due to social distancing requirements.
“I saw a little girl and her father waiting to send food to her mum, who is a frontliner. I could see that the mum missed her daughter badly and the girl cried, asking to hug her mum.
“Unfortunately, her mum could only see her from afar and could not even touch her daughter,” said Chan, 23, who was so moved that she decided to quickly produce five oil paintings and a sand art piece to raise funds to support these frontliners.
Chan, a self-taught contemporary artist, hurriedly produced the paintings plus a piece of sand art featuring Malaysia’s face in the Covid-19 battle – Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.
“I hope this series of paintings can give all Malaysians a role to play in helping our frontliners who are risking their lives for us out there,” said Chan as she unveiled her creations here.
No stranger to charitable acts, Chan has donated her works to Pertubuhan Cintai Malaysia, an NGO led by Datuk Dr Zulkafperi Hanapi.
“We hope to raise RM5mil from these paintings via social media, with those donating the highest having the best chance of keeping these works,” said Dr Zulkafperi, who is known as the face of the organisation noted for its ongoing Save Leukaemia Kids campaign.
“We want to channel some funds to the frontliners’ families who died while on duty, with the four families agreeing to accept the donations.
“We also want to help about 300 frontliners currently warded through our Frontliners Fund.”
He said there were also plans to fund 30,000 sets of personal protective equipment and 30,000 Covid-19 antibody test kits.
“We are also in talks to obtain official approval to provide recognition and award e-certification to all frontliners that will be endorsed by the Health Ministry, Dr Noor Hisham and the Prime Minister,” he said.
The campaign, he added, would take on the slogan “I Support Frontliners Thru Art”.
Donations can be made to PCM’s Maybank account: 5627 5969 0033 (Pertubuhan Cintai Malaysia).
More details can be found at bit.ly/isupportfrontliner or by contacting lovemalaysia.org@gmail.com or 010-363 3393.