JOHOR BAHRU: Mindful of that social responsibility, Lotus Desaru Beach Resort & SPA hosted an iftar (breaking of Ramadan fast) meal in their Grand Ballroom for 168 children and adults from orphanages and schools.

Ninety-eight of the children and adults present were from the disabled (orang kurang upaya) category, a group that the host has long been known to be sympathetic to.

Ramadan is a time for compassion and Lotus Desaru Beach Resort & SPA was happy to do their bit for the less privileged. The resort’s chief executive officer Indra Gandhi Rengasamy Pillai told apakhabartv.com that the event was meant to forge closer ties with the community.

Present for the occasion were Datuk Seri Dr. Md Isa Sabu, chairman of Lotus Group, Datuk Muhammed Thajudeen Abdul Wahab, deputy chairman of Lotus Group and Tan Sri R. Doraisingam Pillai, Lotus Group founder and chief executive officer.

All the hotel management team gathered to mingle and assisted the orphans throughout the buka puasa evening.

The breaking of fast started off with the reciting of prayer by Ahmad Sonkerim. This was followed by an address by Datuk Muhammed Thajudeen Abdul Wahab.

The children were also treated to a sumptuous buffet spread which included treats such as bubur lambuk, white tom yam, flower crab soup, and curry mee with condiments.

The children sampled delights such as ayam gulai kentang, ikan bawal goring masak kicap, BBQ prawns salsa, sotong sambal petai, mutton perattal and daging paprik.

The children and adults, were from Pertubuhan Kebajikan Pemulihan Dalam Komuniti (PKPDK) Indah Murni Mawai, Gugusan Waha, Harapan Murni, Pertubuhan Dalam Komuniti (PDK) Sinar Suria, Mas Timur, Sekolah Kebangsaan Sg. Kapal, Anak Yatim Dun Johor Lama and Anak Yatim Dun Johor Lama.

Dressed cheerily in traditional brightly coloured Malay wear, the children excitedly tucked into a buffet spread served at the resort when the time came to break fast.

Many of them enjoyed the dishes, which included traditional favourite Ramadan desserts like mixed fruit buah kurma, assorted malay kuih, assorted pasty bubur jagung with biji sago and iced sea coconut.

Indra said it was the resort’s wish to see orphans and underprivileged children savour good food together and cherish the relationships they have with the people in their lives.

“We want them to feel loved. They may not come from complete families, but all of us here at the resort are like surrogate aunts and uncles to them.

“In the words of Islam, the rezeki (fortune) we have, we need to share it with others,” she said after joining the breaking fast dinner at the resort.

“We are happy to share this meaningful buka puasa with the children of the various homes and school. We want the children to know that we care about them during this festive season.

“There is no greater joy than seeing smiles on the faces of these children.”

They are an unfortunate lot but we cannot leave them to their devices. What little we can do, we do because that goes some way towards conveying to them that there are people who think and care for them,” she added.

The children and their guardians were delighted by the hospitality they received. For a few hours they were laved in beatific smiles as they chatted merrily and enjoyed themselves.

Tan Sri R. Doraisingam Pillai observed Ramadan is a time for good deeds. He said the performers of charitable deeds are rewarded by the heartwarming smiles they see on children who enjoyed the delicious buka puasa spread laid for them by the resort.

He added that the annual festive charity event was part of Lotus Desaru Beach Resort’s continuous Sharing and Caring Community Commitments initiative.

“Lotus Desaru will persist in its mission to empower the vulnerable among us.

“Let us embrace empathy and kindness so that together, we can help uplift our community,” he stressed.

He said as Ramadan was also a time to reflect on the needs of others who were less fortunate, it was only natural for a contribution to be made to the underprivileged in the community.

“Every year we’ve been organising this event with the various orphanages and we hope to continue the tradition as it’s a great way for us to give back to the community.

“This activity has fostered better relationships between the resort and the various orphanages and schools,” he added.

Before leaving the children and adults were handed out goodie bags and duit raya.