SIBU: Sarawak Family Planning Association (SFPA) Sibu branch held its annual general meeting at a hotel here on (July 25) Saturday evening.
At the AGM, Dr Shirley Chieng was unanimously elected as the branch’s new chairman with Imelda Amelia Billies as the vice chairman.
The post of secretary went to Wong Lee Lee while Pauline Lau was elected as the treasurer.
The committee members are Dr John Tang, Kelvin Wong, Hamidah Rapaee, Lutfil Hadi Roslan, Eunice Ting and Nurfarhana Hamzah.
Also present was the advisor of SFPA Sibu branch Datuk Dr Soon Choon Teck.
In his speech at the AGM, outgoing chairman of SFPA Sibu branch Dr John Tang said since its establishment 57 years ago, SFPA had been able to touch the lives of thousands of people, especially those who were marginalised and poor.
The formation of SPFA, he explained, was aimed at educating, promoting and supporting Sarawakians in family planning, sexual and reproductive health and responsible parenthood.
“We run a full clinic in Sibu branch as well as reach out to supply points all over Sibu and surrounding areas, including longhouses, plantations and timber camps,” he said.
Dr Tang added all the work was done by volunteers and the clinic staff.
“The digital and data revolution is changing everything we are familiar around us.
“Information has become so readily available that it costs nothing for users to access it. This also applies to sexual and reproductive health information.
“Gone are the days when the only ways people can learn about sex and reproduction were from the school or some hard to get censored magazines.
“Now it is just a matter of typing in the key words on your handphones and you can read and watch all materials that our parents or authorities would not allow you to,” he said.
Dr Tang pointed out that despite this, the number of sexually transmitted diseases and unintended pregnancies were still on the rise globally.
