By Anne Malarvani
The Catholic Lawyers’ Society (CLS) headed to Kilang Papan, Sg. Lalang, Semenyih, on December 17, 2022, to help spread Christmas cheer to the migrant and Orang Asli community.

It was an adventure for the volunteers as they travelled through muddy, rocky, and bumpy roads in a four-wheel drive, but the community’s warm welcome upon their arrival brushed aside the discomfort of the rough ride there.

The gathering started with Mass by Fr. Nicholas Hoh, OCD. Sitting on the cool wooden benches of a simple open area in Kilang Papan, the migrant and Orang Asli community members, both young and old — including mothers with children, prayed together in Bahasa Malaysia.

After Mass, the community enjoyed a scrumptious Christmas feast of chicken biryani before the CLS president, Godfrey Fernandez, and Fr Nicholas handed 35 bags of groceries (sponsored by the society) to members of the community.

The children were also delighted to receive early Christmas gifts of stationery and delicious treats. The committee members sang carols for them and played fun-filled games with the children.

The project was a great success for the CLS as they had support from volunteers who worked as a cohesive and committed team to ensure the gathering ran smoothly and made it meaningful and memorable.