USM PENANG, 7 April 2025 – The Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Centre for Drug Research (CDR) held their annual ‘Program Tautan Kasih Ramadan’ with the children warded at Penang General Hospital to share the joy and spirit of Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration.

This golden opportunity for close collaboration was initiated together with the staff from the USM departments of Academic Management Division, International Mobility & Collaboration Centre (IMCC), and the Institute of Postgraduate Studies (IPS).

The Project Leader, Associate Professor Dr. Darshan Singh, stated that the community project is typically held during the month of Ramadan to celebrate Aidilfitri ahead with the children who could not be able to go home as they had to receive treatment at the wards.

"Every child hospitalised in the three separate wards (C1, C2, and C3) received goodie bags filled with healthy dietary items from CDR personnel,” he said.

Darshan was accompanied by the Centre’s Director, Professor Dr. Vikneswaran Murugaiyah and the centre’s Welfare Club Deputy President, Dr. Farah Wahidah Suhaimi who helped to distribute goodie bags to the kids and conveyed their appreciation for the nurses who worked diligently in caring for the children in the wards.

Additionally, the children were presented a token gift called ‘duit raya’, and they were entertained by two postgraduate students who brought some excitement to them by dressing up as cartoon mascots.

The atmosphere at the wards was filled with laughter and cheers as the kids were overjoyed and insisted on taking pictures with the mascots.

Moreover, Darshan mentioned that he started this effort some years ago while he was a student at the Centre because he believed that during the holy month of Ramadan, it was important to share the joy of Raya with the less fortunate.

Since the project has become a landmark activity and has created a bond among staff and kids at the hospital, Darshan said his Centre will plan to do more for the kids next year.

The Centre would like to thank the workforces of the USM Academic Management Division, International Mobility & Collaboration Centre (IMCC) and Institute of Postgraduate Studies (IPS) for the partnership and played a vital role in the success of the programme.

Text and Photos: Centre for Drug Research (CDR), USM/Editing: Rebecal Armugam, Internship Student of Media & Public Relations Centre (MPRC), USM