New Straits Times
Monday, November 30, 1998

Disabled Get a Taste of Special Vintage Stuff

IPOH, Sun. - Thirty disabled children from the Yayasan Sultan Idris Shah Foundation were literally floating on air when they were given rides by vintage car owners around the city.

Wending their way through the city the cars and their occupants were the centre of attraction.

Nine-year-old Mohd Anuar Mohd Jaya, Lee Ji An, 12, and N. Tilaga, 11, were happy to be driven in a "special" car that they had only seen during Merdeka celebrations.

They were among some 80 disabled people who were given a joy ride in 15 vintage and classic cars around the city today, chaperoned by models.

They were later treated to a lunch by Syuen Hotel, organised by the Perak Turf Club, with help from P.R. Chandhran, the managing director of GST Auto, Florence Leong of Flo-Ann's Image, Philip Chang of Beacon's Point and Carman Loh.

Perak Turf Club Chairman Tan Sri V. Jeyaratnam said the event was held in conjunction with the Coronation Cup Race.

He hoped it would draw public attention to the plight of disabled children in the country who needed to be nurtured with love so they would be able to overcome their fears and face daily challenges.

Among the participants were lawyer K. Kumarendran of Penang and the "don" of all vintage car owners Joseph H.S. Lee of Butterworth, who provided four cars for the event, an Aston Martin DB2, a Morris Cowley, Fiat Balilla and an Alvis Firefly - the only ones of their kind in the country.

Planter C. Mathews came from Kuala Kurau to participate as he felt it was important to help the underprivileged children.

The others included Dutchman Pieter Remstedt and his wife Trudy, Hans Caris and Nettie Hans, who are members of affiliate vintage clubs in Holland and Englishman Peter Benette, who flew in for the event.

Dr Ravin Nair, the vice president of Malaysian Singapore Vintage and Classic Cars Register, said the members were happy to give their time to the disabled children.

They plan to promote Perak tourism next July, by holding a drive for 50 vintage cars from Taiping to Tanjung Malim and back to Ipoh, with the help of the State Economic Development Corporation.

Next month the club intends to hold a week-long exhibition at Subang Terminal 1 from Dec 5 and plan another drive from Kuala Lumpur to Perlis from Dec9 - 13.