KUALA LUMPUR: The Lions Club International has vowed to seriously look into the plight of the less fortunate, following the Covid-19 pandemic.
Its District 308 B1 Malaysia governor Kenny Low Man Fook has urged its members nationwide to serve at least one million people through 5,000 charitable projects over the next two years.
The plan, he said, was also to recruit 800 new members for the task.
Low said that there were 124 Lions clubs nationwide, accounting for 3,800 members who were active in various community projects.
"These include carrying out tasks concerning the environment, hunger relief, children's cancer, diabetes awareness, visionary care, education, disaster and humanitarian relief, and youth development.
"We want to share our love and give back to society, especially the down-trodden," he said at the 'chain-of-office handover' of governorship at the Berjaya Times Square Hotel in Jalan Imbi recently.
Low received his one-year term of office commission from the immediate past district governor Datuk Javern Lim Chong Hee during the installation of 115 Cabinet officers for the 2020-2021 term.
The officers represented Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Kuala Lumpur, Negri Sembilan, Malacca and Johor.
Present were Lions Club International multiple district 308 (Brunei, Malaysia and Singapore) council chairperson, Ooi Chao Syhuan and event organising chairman, Datuk Amos Siew Boon Yeong.
Low strongly advocated the "Be a Loving Lion" as the theme for his governorship.
"We must love ourselves first, take care of our health and share the pride of being a Lion with our family and friends.
"Only then can we serve the community well, especially the needy and less fortunate," said Low, calling on Lions to also care for the environment.
He added that love encompassed kindness, patience, care and truthfulness.
Low placed a lot of emphasis on a healthy lifestyle among members and encouraged the Lions to organise sporting events by offering incentives for members.
The Lions Club International was established 103 years ago in 1917 and to date has over 1.35 million members in 200 countries.
It has been active in Malaysia for 61 years since 1959.