Publication: Berita Harian, p I 1 Date: 24 August 2009 Headline: SMU undergraduates lend their voices to operation smile

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Suara hati mahasiswa untuk Operation Smile Oleh HARYANI ISMAIL har yani@sph. m . s g

M EREKA hanyalah sekum- pulan mahasiswa yang in- gin menyatukan minat

terhadap muzik untuk mem- bantu golongan yang b g ber- nasib baik.

Berbekalkan misi murni itu- lah, sebuah projek amal, Project Cleft, yang bertujuan membantu kanak-kanak sumbing dan pesak- it rekahan lelangit menampung biaya pembedahan, diusahakan 13 anak MelayulIslam ini.

Pada 10 Oktober ini, mereka akan melancarkan album amal dengan kompilasi lagu-lagu Me- layu baru yang dicipta dan dipersembahkan mahasiswa Uni- versiti Pengurusan Singapura (SMU), Universiti Nasional Sin- gapura (NUS) dan Universiti Teknologi Nanyang (NTU).

Setiap satu lagu itu berbekal- kan tema 'Kehidupan, Harapan dan Senyuman'. Terdapat kera- tan puisi dalam lagu, hasil pena mahasiswa SMU.

Majlis pelancaran eksklusif untuk media dan tokoh muzik serta ahli perniagaan itu akan di- adakan di Restoran Tepak Sireh.

Hanya 1,000 naskhah CD yang setiap satu berharga $15 dicetak.

Mereka berharap pertubuhan Islam, syarikat kecil dan sederha-

na Melayu dan individu-individu yang berminat dapat membeli sejumlah CD itu untuk tujuan amal kepada dana Operation Smile (badan bantuan pesakit sumbing). Ia kemudian boleh di- aghkan sebagai hadiah percurna kepada pelanggan atau anggota masing-masing .

Ketika ditemui di pejabat Ber- ita Harian baru-baru ini, Moham- ad Izad Hamzah, selaku wakil te- man-teman dari Kelab Bahasa Melayu clan Budaya SMU, berka- ta:

"Idea untuk menyalur bakti kepada Operation Smile ini terce- tus apabila kami memikirkan cara-cara terbaik untuk kami manfaatkan minat mahasiswa terhadap muzik untuk tujuan-tu- juan kebajikan.

"Kami terfikir badan yang boleh dibantu ialah yang ada kaitannya dengan nikrnat muzik. Terfikir kasihan kanak-kanak pe- kak dan bisu - payah mendengar muzik dan payah menyanyi. Be- gitu juga dengan kanak-kanak sumbing.

"Atas dasar itulah dan apa- bila mendapat tahu Operation Smile banyak menggerakkan projek serantau dan antarabang- sa, maka kami memilih badan ini sebagai penerima hasil jualan amal CD kami."

Rakannya, Hafiz Affandi, pu-

la menambah: "Memang masa kami agak terhad, jadi apabila kami ada masa berbuat kebaji- kan, maka kami bergabung tena- ga dan usahakan sesuatu yang menyampaikan hasrat anak mu- da."

Anggota band Sound Salva- tion, Andry Sani, dijadikan men- tor bagi projek ini.

Muhammad Hafiz Ridhwan, yang memang terlibat dalam du- nia muzik dan mempunyai band sendiri, menambah: "Kami banyak belajar daripada projek ini. Kami belajar tentang kerjasa- ma. Kami juga rasa nikrnatnya melakukan sesuatu yang kami ge- man mtuk membawa keceriaan kepada kanak-kanak malang cl i luar sana.

"Teman-teman kami yang biasanya lebih selesa menyanyi- kan lagu-lagu Inggeris juga mendapati projek ini membawa cabaran bagi diri mereka sebab mereka perlu mendendangkan lagu dalam bahasa Melayu. Yang menggembirakan, ada juga teman bukan Melayu yang terli- bat."

Badan Melayu/Islam, &y~rcgat-syarikat yang ingin menyumbang kepada Project Cleft menerusi pembelian CD ini boleh menghubungi Maressa di projectcleft@gmail. corn

TERSENTUH: (Dari kiri) Muhammad Hafiz Ridhwan, Maressa Zahirah, Hafiz Affandi, Atiqah Alias dan Mohamad luad Hamzah adalah antara 13 mahasiswa Universiti Pengurusan Singapura (SMU) yang mengusahakan CD amal, yang hasilnya akan disalurkan kepada Operation Smile, badan bantuan pesakit sumbing cilik. - Foto TAUFIK A. KADER

Source: Berita Harian O Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Permission required for reproduction.

Publication: Berita Harian, p 11 Date: 24 August 2009 Headline: SMU undergraduates lend their voices to operation smile

Source: Berita Harian © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Permission required for reproduction.

SMU Undergraduates Lend Their Voices to Operation Smile They are a team of undergraduates who seeks to unify their passion for music towards helping the less fortunate. With that noble intention in mind, a charitable project which aims to help children suffering from the cleft lip/palates medical condition was initiated by these 13 undergraduates. Come 10th October, they will be launching a charity album - a compilation of contemporary Malay music composed and performed by students from Singapore Management University (SMU), National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU). Every song is based on the themes of life, hope and smile. The album will also include a poetry recitation in the form of a song, which was penned by a fellow SMU undergraduate. The launch, which will be a closed-door event and exclusive to the media, musicians and businessmen, will be held at Tepak Sireh Restaurant. Only 1000 copies of the album will be produced selling at $15 each. The students hope that organisations, small and medium-sized enterprises and interested individuals will come forward to purchase the CD in support of Operation Smile (an organisation assisting cleft lip patients). The CDs can then be distributed to their customers and members as gifts, in order to spread awareness for their cause. In a recent meeting at Berita Harian's office, Mohamad Izzat Hamzah, representing friends from SMU's Malay Language and Cultural Club (MLCC) said, “The idea to contribute to Operation Smile transpired when the team was deliberating on ways to best benefit the community by tapping on our undergraduates' zeal for music.” “We felt that a suitable organisation that the team could assist was one related to the enjoyment of music. We sympathised with children who are deaf and mute for their affected abilities to enjoy music and also sing. The same goes for children with the cleft lip condition.” “Based on that reason and the knowledge that Operation Smile actively carries out many regional and international projects, we chose Operation Smile as the beneficiary of our album sales.” Another member of the team, Hafiz Affandi added, “The time that we have as students is very limited. So when we have time to do charitable projects, we synergise our energies and ensure that we conceive a product that speaks for the youths.” Sound Salvation band member Andry Sani was a mentor for this project. Muhammad Hafiz Ridhwan, who is personally involved in the music world and part of a band himself, commented, “We learnt a lot of lessons from the project. We learned about teamwork and felt the satisfaction of doing something we love to bring joy to the less fortunate children out there.”

Publication: Berita Harian, p 11 Date: 24 August 2009 Headline: SMU undergraduates lend their voices to operation smile

Source: Berita Harian © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Permission required for reproduction.

“Our friends who are usually more comfortable singing in English rose up to the challenge of the project, which was to perform in Malay. What was more heartening was the fact that there are also friends from other races who contributed to the album.” Note: Organisations and enterprises that wish to contribute towards Project Cleft through the purchase of CDs can contact Maressa at projectcleft@gmail.com. Photo caption TOUCHED: (From left) Muhammad Hafiz Ridhwan, Maressa Zahirah, Hafiz Affandi, Atiqah Alias and Mohamad Izzat Hamzah are amongst the thirteen SMU undergraduates undertaking the production of a charitable CD album in support of Operation Smile, an organisation assisting children with the cleft lip condition. Translated by: Muhammad Toy-yib Bin Abu Hurairi