Special Games treat for children

09/08/1998

ABOUT 6,000 underprivileged schoolchildren and orphans, thanks to United
Engineers Malaysia (UEM), will receive the treat of their lives when the
Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games begins next month.
UEM are the main contractors of the National Sports Complex at Bukit
Jall, the main venue for the Games.
"We would like to give the children a treat to remember for the rest of
their lives," said UEM director Datuk Dr Yahya Ismail yesterday.
"The special part about this treat is that most of the children selected
have never been to Kuala Lumpur before."
The secondary school students are from rural areas, Felda and the Orang
Asli settlements throughout the country including Sabah and Sarawak.
Accommodation for the children, who will be accompanied by about 500
teachers, will be at Universiti Putra Malaysia. Games tickets, food, T-
shirts, track pants, socks and shoes are among the goodies that await
them.
"It will actually be an educational package and the students will be
taken on a sight-seeing tour of Parliament, Masjid Negara, Dataran
Merdeka, Istana Negara and other places of interest," said Yahya after
signing an MoU with the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of National
Unity and Social Development and Sukom Ninety Eight Berhad.
The students will watch Games in batches, with the two main batches
staying three days in Kuala Lumpur. Special children and orphans from
Selangor and Kuala Lumpur will be taken on day trips.
(END)