Annual Delegates Conference

It was that time of year again for the committee, branches and members of EWRF to come together, in an event which sees important issues that matter, debated, discussed and resolved, all for the sake of ensuring the community’s well being.

EWRF hosted the delegates at A Famosa Resort Malaysia for its 24th Annual Conference on 7th July 2007 where 60 delegates and 9 branches attended. The resort was the perfect setting for the event which started off at 2.30pm. Of course, those attending were first treated to a hearty buffet lunch. Following registration, the delegates took their places and the conference began with the President’s welcoming speech.
Mr S P Pathi, the EWRF President, was very encouraging during his speech. He said that community service requires a lot time and is not something easy. With the changing times, he noted that it is important for Indians to stay competitive with the other major races in this country. After brief explanations on some of EWRF’s projects, he spoke on EWRF’s vision on improving the level of proficiency in the English language among students through its projects as EWRF saw English as a vital asset in modern day society. Mr Pathi also urged the delegates present to scout for young blood who could one day take charge of the foundation responsibly.

Research was another area which Mr Pathi spoke of with conviction. According to him, it was only through research that EWRF would really be able to identify key problem areas in the Indian community. Hence, he said that the services of a qualified researcher will be sought after in order to gain the necessary data from various fields which would prove important in gaining assistance from the necessary parties. Apart from that, he wishes to see a leadership training centre to be developed as part of EWRF’s youth empowerment programmes to help guide 300 – 400 youths in every batch identified.

Next, following the president’s speech, the financial report for the year 2006 was presented by EWRF Treasurer, Mr K Sandra Segaran. Despite the occasional hiccups during the post mortem of the report, the proceedings went on quite smoothly. Then it was the presentation of the projects and activities report which was done by members of the committee and branch representatives.

Ms Kaniswari Munusamy sure had her lucky stars shining brightly on that day. This former EWRF’s ABC scholar, who is now in Ukraine pursuing a degree in medicine, was present at the conference as an observer and was given a sweet surprise by Mr Pathi as she was awarded a cheque amounting RM10 000 for her educational expenses as a sign of appreciation for her commitment towards EWRF.

That was not the only sweet surprise of the day. The entire delegation was pleased to see the arrival of Mr S K Samy, EWRF Past President at the conference. Mr Samy took the opportunity to convey a few words on the occasion by praising the leadership of Mr Pathi and his team. He also spoke on the importance of EWRF’s role in empowering members of the society to change the fate of the Indians in this country for the better.

When the dissection of the reports was done with, the floor members were given an opportunity to speak on relevant issues and problem areas for necessary action by EWRF and this prompted delegates to put forward a number of worthy ideas and comments.

At 6.30pm, the conference was brought to an end. Before the delegates moved on to the next programme which was the historical post ADC dinner, a photo session was arranged for, and that was indeed a memorable way of bringing the curtains down on the 24th Annual EWRF Delegates Conference.