Friends of Malaysia (FoM) Join Pink October Celebration Kick Off, Sandakan, Sabah – 21 Sep 2006
By Mr Thaine H. Allison, Jr, Vice President Programs, Friends of Malaysia with assistance from Mary Alex Mansiw

About Friends of Malaysia (FoM)
Friends of Malaysia is a group of former Peace Corps Volunteers that served in Malaysia during the period September 1962 through December 1982. We were teachers, surveyors, agricultural extension workers, nurses, laboratory technicians, accountants, computer specialists, business consultants and engineers. We were assigned to communities throughout East and West Malaysia. Most of us continue to remember fondly our days spent in Malaysia. More importantly we stay aware of the continuing problems and issues that affect the day to day lives of friends and family that many of us have in Malaysia.

As a group we are fond of getting together and talking and sharing our experiences. Still we would like to help to solve problems that are prevalent in the modern, growing dynamic Malaysia. We have lost at least two members to breast cancer in recent years and have determined that one way that we can honor our friends and continue to make a difference in Malaysia is to help develop awareness of this terrible disease. We are particularly concerned about women in rural areas that may not have the degree of access to information that women in the larger cities have. Based on our interest to serve we set out to identify a non-governmental organization that we could help sponsor and work with to provide the kind of information that women need in order to carry out self examinations and get themselves to proper medical care before the disease takes a deadly hold on them.

How FoM became involved in Sandakan’s Breast Health Awareness Movement?
Through the auspices of Dr Evelyn Ho, President of the College of Radiology & Editor of Radiology Malaysia based in Kuala Lumpur, we were put in contact with Mary Alex Mansiw. Mary was a former radiographer, now a lecturer with the Medical Imaging Programme of MARA University of Technology (UiTM) and is on leave following her husband to Sandakan. She is now volunteering as coordinator cum assistant adviser of the Breast Cancer Awareness project in Sandakan, Sabah’s second largest city. The present adviser is Dr Zorina Khalid who is also the Director of the Duchess of Kent Hospital in Sandakan. From here on the edge of the South China Sea and the mouth of the Kinabatangan River, Sabah’s longest river, she is developing an educational program for women in the interior. Through her diligent work she has created a committee of approximately 30 women representing various women’s organizations of the east coast of Sabah.

The College of Radiology through Dr Evelyn Ho’s breast health programmes and her partners in breast health/cancer awareness have been assisting Mary in her efforts to bring breast cancer awareness to Sandakan.

The Sandakan Pink October Event
I was invited to attend their annual “Pink October” kick off event this year. Through the miracle of the Internet and the accumulation of frequent flier miles on United Airlines I was able to participate in this wonderful, supportive and educational event. More that 250 women from the hospital, government and the community at large were in attendance at the main event on Thursday 21 September 2006 in the conference room of Duchess of Kent Hospital.

The honored guest of the program was Yang Berbahagia Datin Dg. Jamaiah Pg. Alli, Sabah Puspanita Chief. She arrived the day before the event, on a Wednesday afternoon and after a brief greeting at the airport, met with the committee and distinguished guests from the Sandakan town for a formal high tea. This was an opportunity to meet with Yg Bhg Datin Dg Jamaiah, in a more intimate setting and brief her on the festivities and the activities taking place on Thursday, 21 Sep 2006.

Later in the evening, approximately 100 people met at the home of the Mr Yeo Boon Hai, President of the Sandakan City Council who was the host for the evening. His grand house over looks the town and the harbor. The food was delicious and several members sang traditional songs in Malay, English and Chinese with the aid of a Karaoke machine.The fasting month of Ramadhan for the Muslims, began on Saturday evening (23 Sep 2006) and would continue for a month into October. Thus to avoid conflict with the events of the Muslim fasting month, Mary and her committee elected to have the kick-off event the last Thursday of September (21 Sep 2006) to mark the beginning of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

On the morning of the 21 Sep 2006, over 250 men and women assembled in the Conference area of the Duchess of Kent Hospital for a lively and varied program.

The President of the Sandakan Steering Committee on Breast Cancer Awareness, Puan Royahah Pawzy presented Yang Berbahagia Datin Dg. Jamaiah Pg. with a “Pink Ribbon” souvenir to officially start the program Pg. Datin gave an inspiring speech to the assembled guests reminding them how important their work was and congratulated the committee on their progress at creating a program and a Non-Governmental Organisation to support women in and around Sandakan.

A break in the serious part of the program allowed me to present the executive committee a mock cheque which will be the basis of the FoM contribution to the acquisition of silicon breast teaching models. Transfer of the funds to the vendor was under way and hopefully the models would arrive in Sandakan before the end of the year.
 

In addition to the approximately RM 10,000 for the training devices. Friends of Malaysia has provided RM 900 (approximately $US250.00) to the group towards establishing an NGO or an equivalent group in Sandakan dedicated to breast cancer outreach. This group will be the basis for other fund raising activities.

While the program was inspiring and lots of information was exchanged, it is transitory in that only a small portion of women were actually able to attend the event. In order for women to get more information and allow all women in the area a chance to learn about the disease and how to examine themselves, Mary and her committee put together a number of poster boards that offered information and places where women could go to get training in how to identify possible health problems. These exhibit boards will be in place for the general public through out the Pink October month.

Besides the exhibition, the day’s program also included talks on breast cancer by Dr Zaiton Yahaya, diet and cancer by Cik Siti Rokiah Abd Rahman and breast self examination and mammography by Mary Alex. This was followed by group demonstration using the breast models. There was also an inspiring sharing by a breast cancer survivor, Miss Fan Su Ha.

Nearly half of the women in the room remembered fondly their encounters with Peace Corps Volunteers during the 20 years that volunteers served in Sabah. I took with me a number of Karen Bowlsby Pink Ribbon Pins and book marks. Mary was overwhelmed by women who wanted one of these pins to wear. I promised that we would send some more for her to pass out to others.

At the end of the presentation the Committee assembled for a final photograph. This was a great event and I want to stress that the committee did all the work and has begun the task of providing clear, concise information to women in the area in around Sandakan. Mary Alex deserves a great deal of credit for getting the committee together and creating a sense of mission for the group. Congratulations to Mary and her committee, Pink October 2006.

NCR 2003 Report: Breast Cancer is still the top cancer amongst women

Latest statistics from
the National Cancer Registry (NCR) show
that lung cancer is the most common cancer experienced by men in the country, whilst
breast cancer is the top cancer in women. Lung cancer accounts for 13.8 per cent of cancer cases among men. For women, breast cancer accounts
for 31 per cent of cases.