Hiking club celebrates anniversary

Hikers and their families celebrated 28 years of the club’s activities. — BERNARD SEE/The Star

IT was fun-filled night as more than 1,100 hikers and their families attended the Moon Gate Point Five Hiking Club’s 28th anniversary celebration held at Che Hoon Khor Moral Uplifting Society in Macalister Road, George Town in Penang.

Guests at the event were treated to an eight-course dinner, but the highlight of the night was the lucky draw.

Offering RM50,000 worth of prizes, the draw gave away four motorcycles, sports shoes, a bicycle and shopping vouchers.

The top two prizes of Ebixon Bold electric motorcycles worth RM9,500 each were won by Heng Ham Wan, 79, and Jessie Yeoh, 59.

MYUS Autotech manager Hunter Leong later handed the prizes to the winners.

There was a bittersweet moment at the dinner when club president Datuk Seri Benny Khor, 67, announced his retirement after 18 years.

While he would serve as permanent adviser, Khor would be replaced by the club’s secretary Tan Chee Yeong.

Heng 79, (in red t-shirt) and friends all smiles with his electric bike win.

In Khor’s outgoing speech, he shared that the club rest area’s monthly expenses for coffee, tea and biscuits provided free to all hikers had risen from RM700 to RM4,000 in the last 11 years.

“We do not depend on external fundraising campaigns or enforce annual membership fees.

“Our funds are sourced from the surplus generated from our annual anniversary dinner, sponsorship from supporters and personal contributions.

“We have also established the Moon Gate Point 5 Charity Fund to help our members who have been involved in accidents or are in need,” he said.

Khor added that club members had taken part in a number of projects along the hiking trail to upgrade the steps, signage and stone benches.

These enhanced the appeal of Moon Gate Point 5 as a favourite spot for hikers and tourists.

Through a charity sale, the dinner organising committee also managed to raise RM3,299 for their activity fund.

TG Ocean Health Food Industries Sdn Bhd managing director Datuk Ong Thor Guan also donated RM5,000 to the fund.

Among the dinner guests was Penang Chinese Town Hall chairman Tan Sri Tan Khoon Hai.