Assalammualaikum,
To all Area Leaders and Committee members, Ansara officials and Volunteers, in All state capitals.
I am pleased to confirm that the dates for the Inaugural Ansara Nationwide Pre-Ramadhan Blood Donation Drive 2007 will be held on the 8th and 9th September 2007, two (2) days only.
All state capitals will conduct the Blood Donation Drive at their respective venues simultaneously (serentak) throughout the country on the 8th and 9th September 2007.
I had a meeting with officers of the Pusat Darah Negara, the national headquaters of all the blood donation centres for the whole of Malaysia, in Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur, on the 25th July 2007.
The officers at the Pusat Darah Negara has been kind enough to reconfirm, officially endorse and support our two day
nationwide programme as stated in their official letter of endorsement dated 22nd June 2007 which specifically mentioned and endorsed only the 8th and 9th September 2007.
The Pusat Darah Negara has not officially endorsed our programme for dates other than the 8th and 9th September 2007.
The Pusat Darah Negara most probably has other programmes or committed themselves to other NGOs for other days.
Projects, proposals or ideas related to blood donation cannot be implemented or applied without the approval and official written endorsement from the Pusat Darah Negara.
We are very fortunate that Pusat Darah Negara has been willing to allocate to our nationwide programme the 8th and 9th September 2007, which is the last Saturday and Sunday before the start of the fasting month of Ramadhan.
Other NGOs may not be so lucky to get that particular dates, what more when we are going to do it on a nationwide campaign.
So, we Ansarans must make sure that this Inaugural Ansara Nationwide Blood Donation Drive 2007 will be a huge success for us to be credible enough to do it again next year and every year.
We must try our best to make it an annual Ansara event that everyone throughout the country will look forward to.
The publicity and promotion of this project via TV, Radio and Newspapers will probably start about three (3) weeks before the D-day of 8th and 9th September 2007. Sdr Rashid Harun will head the publicity campaign assisted by myself to ensure proper coordination and dissemination of correct and consistent information to the public. This is to avoid misinformation and public confusion.
The promotion and publicity will culminate in the launching of the project to be held on the 8th September 2007.
The Nationwide Blood Donation Drive ends on the evening of Sunday 9th September 2007.
Puasa will probably start on the 13th September 2007 and we hope that through our Nationwide Pre-Ramadhan Blood Donation Drive we would have been able to collect and stock up enough blood to last throughout the month of Ramadhan for the whole country when the Malays and the Muslims have difficulty to donate blood because of fasting.
Database from all the state capitals will be collected during the two day event and the total number of donors from all the state capitals will be tallied to see if we have achieved a national record. The database collected will be used for future nationwide blood donation drives. Database committee will be headed by Sdr Rashid Yatim.
We must set a minimum nationwide total collection of at least 10,000 donors to make this project of ours to be considered credible. Anything less than 5,000 will be considered a failure, considering it is nationwide. Between 5,000 to 10,000 will be considered a pass. More than 15,000 is considered very successful. More than 20,000 will be considered Excellent and a bonus. These figures are acquired from past experiences with the National Blood Bank.
Can Ansara do it? We must try our very best.
Launching
The venue for the launching of the Nationwide Pre-RamadhanBlood Donatin Drive at national level will announced in due time. Some state area committees may want to do their state level launching by their own state level VIPs or even Royalties. The area leaders and their area committee members may decide to have or not to have state level launching.
However, all area leaders and their committee members are encourage to engage their local VIPs, high government officials, members of parliament, Assemblypersons (ADUNs), prominent individuals and celebrities at their respective area to gain support and if possible some sponsorship and contributions in cash and kind. Principals and teachers of nearby MRSM and local MARA officers should be contacted and engaged as a matter of courtesy.
Promotions and publicity at local levels are encouraged using posters, banners, word of mouth, e-mails and sms.
Promotions and publicity at national level using the TVs, Radios and Newspapers will be done by the committee in Kuala Lumpur.
Objectives
1) To help ensure adequate blood supply during the fasting month of Ramadhan for the whole country.
2) To help create, on a regular basis, the awareness amongst the Malaysian people the importance of blood donation.
3) To help revive Ansara activities and relevence on a nationwide level.
4) To test Ansara's ability to organise and coordinate among all its members throughout the country to achieve a specific and noble national objective. And this will be Ansara's gift to the nation.
5) To encourage the spirit of volunteerism and sacrifice among Ansara members.
Value-Add
1) Free Medical Check-Ups
Dr Asri Ghafar, an Orthopedic surgeon from Ansara Jasin who will be leading the Blood Donation in Jaya Jusco Melaka on the 8th and 9th September 2007, has proposed to add a free health and wellness medical check-ups during the Blood Donation Drive. This is acceptable and encouraged by the Pusat Darah Negara for it has been done before. Ansara doctors in Kota Bharu are also planning to do the same. It is hoped that Ansara doctors and paramedics in all the other state capitals will follow suit.
2) Organ Donation Campaign
I am at the moment also trying to add an Organ Donation Campaign during the nationwide blood donation drive. This is also encouraged by the Pusat Darah Negara and it also has been done before.
3) Voter Registration Campaign
The general election is just around the corner. The SPR people may be encouraged and allowed to 'menumpang' at
our blood donation centres at all the state capitals.
In Kota Bharu, Sdr Zahari Mohamed of Ansara Kota Bharu pioneer batch, who is in charge of organising the blood donation drive in Kota Bharu Mall on the 8th and 9th September 2007, has even proposed, if I am not mistaken, that the MRSM Kota Bharu student band or 'pancaragam' or gamelan be played and perform at the launching of the blood donation drive there to attract as many donors as possible. That's very interesting, but I am not too confident that other state capitals will follow suit.
At other state capitals the area committee may want to engage celebrities to meet and entertain blood donors there, that will totally be up to their abilities to do so and let's see which state capital conducts the most interesting and most attractive blood donation drive. And that will be the mark of Ansara's creativity.
Latest Updates
Sdr Kamaruddin Ali, ex-MRSM Seremban pioneer batch, established professional engineer by profession, has kindly agreed to be appointed as area leader for Klang. He will lead his area committee to conduct the blood donation drive at the Jaya Jusco shopping centre in Bukit Raja Klang on the 8th and 9th September 2007. The venue has been confirmed.
Pn Maznah Khamis and her own area committee will be leading the blood donation drive for the area of Kuala Lumpur. We have many choices of venue for Kuala Lumpur which will be announced in the near future.
dermadarahansara@yahoogroups.com
Dr Asri Ghafar, an Orthopedic surgeon who will be leading the blood donation drive in Melaka, has kindly created the
dermadarahansara@yahoogroups.com . All state area leaders and interested committee members are encouraged to join the e-group so that we are able to update each other and exchange notes regarding the progress of the nationwide donation drive. To join the e-group please contact Dr Asri at e-mail mabg68@yahoo.com
Acknowledgement
I would like to take this oppurtunity to acknowledge and make a special mention of thanks to Sdr Ahmad Bazlan Che Kasim, a lawyer by profession from Ansara Kota Bharu who is also the 'Setiausaha Agung' of Ansara Pusat, for his outstanding contribution to this project. Through his tireless and persistent efforts, Sdr Bazlan has managed to secure us all the Jaya Jusco premises throughout the country and that amounts to a total of 6 Jaya Jusco shopping centres in 6 state capitals namely Tebrau City Johor Bahru, Melaka, Seremban 2, Bukit Raja Klang, Kinta City Ipoh and Queensbay Penang and also 5 other Jaya Jusco shopping centres around Kuala Lumpur. Sdr Bazlan's contribution was the key to kickstarting the whole project, without which the whole project may not have been able to proceed to this stage we are at now. Syabas!.
Last, but not least, I would also like to take his opportunity to Congratulate Dato' Mukhriz Tun Dr Mahathir and Sdr Mohd Roslan Bani Amin for their victories and success at the recent Ansara election on the 14th July 2007. We must now all close ranks and work together towards making Ansara a more united, successful and a respected national organisation.
Wish you all the best and may Allah help us in making this nationwide pre-Ramadhan blood donation drive on the 8th and 9th September 2007 a huge success.
Thanking you all for now. Any feed back will be most welcome.
Wassalam.
Dr Halim Abubakar
Project Proposer and Project National Coordinator
Ansara Annual Nationwide Pre-Ramadhan Blood Donation Drive.
E-mail : drhalimb@streamyx.com
H/P : 012-6636232
Callsign: 9W2HAL
