| Fizah HAB |
ROTARIAN Klaus Tomalla was elected President of the Bandar Seri Begawan Rotary Club (BSB Rotary Club) during the organisation’s 54th installation ceremony at The Rizqun International Hotel in Gadong on Saturday.
District Governor 3310, RY 2015-16, Phillip Chong was the guest of honour.
Tomalla will be assisted by BSB Rotary Club Honorary Secretary Boon Wu Wai together with BSB Rotary Club Vice President and Assistant Sergeant at Arms Kenneth Ling.
Lam Soon Meng will be Immediate Past President while Jimmy Chung will be President-elect.
Leonida Lim will be the Honorary Treasurer with Alan Saikawa the Club Administration Chair. The post of Membership Chair is held by Muthukrishnan Balasundaram while the Public Relations Chair is Daniel Thien.
The Service Projects Chair post is taken up by Christina Wong and the Vocational Service Chair by Clement Yong. Taking the Community Service Chair position is Joe Choo while the International Service Chair is Ricky Ng.
In his speech, the newly elected BSB Rotary Club President said, “We encounter people who lack the basics of normal life. We meet people who are struggling and thinking how they can get clean water or enough food to eat every day.
“We see people who are suffering and need medical treatment which they can’t afford, and we meet families who are worried on how to provide a good education for their children. The most important feature of Rotary is to help those in need and to save our environment and planet.”
Recalling his own experience in joining the Rotary Club, Immediate Past President Lam said, “Ten years ago, I was indirectly invited to a weekly Rotary meeting in Moscow, Russia. That’s how I got started with the organisation.
“Rotary has helped me to quickly get integrated in Brunei Darussalam and it opened doors for me in regions and environments I have never experienced and seen before. I have met wonderful people in and outside of Brunei Darussalam and from the whole of Borneo.”
The guest of honour commended BSB Rotary Club for their work in assisting people from the rural areas of Sarawak, Malaysia, as well as their involvement in charity and humanitarian service projects.