Henry Dunant Medal for my super-wonderful Mom

This morning, the Malaysian Red Crescent Society put on amost touching award presentation ceremony for mom. The presiding VIP was YABhg Datin Paduka Rosmah Mansor, who not only graced the event, but showed kindness, care and concern towards mom.

The MCRS officials and staff paid a moving tribute to mom. Click on the title of this post to see their site. When their ppt presentation came on, with You Raise Me Up as the soundtrack, I was fighting to hold back my tears. Shahnaz was sternly signaling to me from across the crowd ' you no cry'. And I didn't!

Mom has been part of a dynamic team that brought much relief to people in need. To see all this again, and to hear her former colleagues and staff's warm words was overwhelming.

Some background about the award : Henry Dunant is the founder of the international Red Cross movement, and every year, the International Red Cross will recognise a few members from around the world who have given extraordinary service. Mom was nominated for 2008 and she got it!

She will also enter the Malaysian Book of Records for being The Longest Serving Secretary General of Humanitarian Services'. She served with the Malaysian Red Crescent Society for 33 years. During this time, she helped to provide shelter and repatriation for over 200,000 Vietnamese Boat People who landed in Malaysia, for a period of 20 years. Eventually, most of them found new homes and new lives in other countries.

I am so happy that her lung infection (pneumonia) has healed in time for this ceremony. Yay-yay!



More photos taken by Sonny are on my Facebook page.