Held on July 18 at the Grand Ballroom of The Magellan Sutera Resort, guests were treated to a melancholic journey that highlights the plight of 50 all-boys students under the care of the Tahfiz Al-Quran As-Syatibiyah Learning Centre that is located at two centres; one in Masjid SDA Bandaran, Kota Kinabalu and the other in Kg Kuala Pandan, Putatan.
This annual Breaking of Fast event was organised by the Resort’s Sales & Marketing Department. It is also supported by the Resort’s management as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility activities and in line with the Resort’s core values that is ‘Community Involvement’.
Present as Guest of Honour is the The Head of State of Sabah, His Excellency Tun Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Haji Juhar bin Datuk Haji Mahiruddin and his consort, YABhg Toh Puan Datuk Seri Panglima Hajah Norlidah Tan Sri Datuk R.M. Jasni.
Also present were respective Ministers and Head of Departments from the Federal and State Departments. The Tahfiz Al-Quran As-Syatibiyah Learning Centre was headed by its Chairman, Ustaz Hj Julniealam bin Amilussin along with several of the Centre’s representatives.
On hand to welcome guests were the Chief Executive Officer of Sutera Harbour Resort, Mr Gilbert Ee as well as the Resort’s Board of Directors and Executive Committees.
In his opening speech, Mr Mohd Al’Freedo Mohd Yahya, Director of Human Resources & Training who represented Sutera Harbour Resort, welcomed guests with a call for unity in the name of a good cause.
The event first started as a simple appreciation dinner for all of the Resort’s corporate clients and their continuous support. But in view of it being held during Ramadan, the programme was given a boost by taking into account the less fortunate and the underprivileged in the area of Kota Kinabalu.
The evening started with the presentation of the tokens of appreciation to the children in the form of Duit Hari Raya, a complete ensemble of traditional Malay costume ‘thobe’ or Jubah as well as a Hari Raya gifts in the form of stationeries for the childrens’ schooling needs. These were presented to the boys by His Excellency Tun and Mr Gilbert Ee, Sutera Harbour Resort’s Chief Executive Officer.
His Excellency Tun also presented a cash donation in a form of a mock cheque of RM3000.00 from Yayasan Nur Jauhar to the Chairman of the Tahfiz Al-Quran As-Syatibiyah Learning Centre, Ustaz Hj Julniealam bin Amilussin as a sign of goodwill and appreciation to the Centre for their commitment to the well-being of the students. Yayasan Nur Jauhar is a foundation founded by both His Excellency Tun and YABhg Toh Puan.
The students ranging from the ages of 10 to 17 years old presented their Nasyid performance, while 11 year-old; Mohd Idris Abdul Hakim opened their performance with a beautiful Al-Quran recitation.
Minutes before the Azan (the call for prayer), Imam Ustaz Imbran Anggun from the Istana Negeri delivered an opening prayer to give thanks for a blessed Ramadan and a meaningful event. The Muslim guests then break their fast with a light meal before they adjourned for Maghrib prayers. The breaking of fast meal continued minutes later to the sound of light traditional entertainment on the Gambus by the Kumpulan Budayawan.
After the official Breaking of Fast hours, His Excellency Tun and YABhg Toh Puan along with other Muslim guests adjourned for Isyak followed with Terawih.
The evening ended on a high note with guests presented with Serunding, Kuih Raya and Kurma for their show of support.
