New chapel, hall for Orang Asli

On November 18, Sahabat Orang Asli (SOA) members and supporters converged in Kampung Sungai Bil, Tanjung Malim for the official opening and blessing of a new community hall-cum-chapel at the village. The group from Ipoh was led by Fr Stephen Liew, Priest Advisor of the Perak Deanery Orang Asli Apostolate. At Kg. Sungai Bil, they were joined by Fr Andrew Stephen, Parish Priest of the Church of the Most Holy Redeemer, Tanjung Malim and the parish’s Orang Asli team.

Kg Sungai Bil is an Orang Asli village with a number of Catholic families served by the Tanjung Malim parish. Fr Andrew had been celebrating Mass every month at an open space in one of the villagers’ house compound. Recently, the land owner generously offered to donate the vacant ground for the construction of a new community hall-cum-chapel for the use of the village. The building project was organised and undertaken by SOA together with one of its partner organisations, the Pink Shoes group from Kuala Lumpur.

Construction work commenced in August 2017 and took place over a period of three months, supervised mainly by SOA’s Bernard Lee.

Materials for the building and furnishings were obtained through collective efforts. Besides the main sponsors SOA and Pink Shoes, other contributors included the Chinese Apostolate of St. Michael’s Church and some individual and group donors. The engineering design was undertaken, free of charge, by SL Chan Consultant.

The blessing and Eucharistic celebration was a joyous and unifying occasion. The Mass was celebrated by Fr Andrew with Fr Liew as concelebrant. After the Mass, the Ipoh group enjoyed a bountiful and delicious lunch organised by the Tanjung Malim team and the villagers of Kg. Sungai Bil.

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online