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Malaysian Red Crescent Society

used as guides to plan and implement tasks to meet the


challenges of the future.

The MRCS considers that it has established a positive


public image over the years through active and effective
programmes in favour of the community, especially in
times of disaster and emergencies.

Legal base
The MRCS was founded in 1948 and recognized by the
government in 1957, and by the Movement in 1963. It
was incorporated by an act of parliament in 1965, and

Malaysian became the Malaysian Red Crescent Society (change of


name and emblem) by a similar act in 1975. The last

Red Crescent Society national elections took place in June 2002 and the last
annual general meeting was held in June 2002.

Founded: 1948 Constituency


Members/volunteers: 278,170 (2002) There are branches functioning in all 13 states and two
Staff: 156 (2002) federal territories of Malaysia. The governing national
Expenditure: CHF 1.2 million (2002) executive committee is broadly representative of the
Malaysian population, including women.

1. National context
3. Capacity

Asia and the Pacific


Malaysia consists of Peninsular Malaysia (40 per cent of
the national land area) and the states of Sabah and Leadership
Sarawak on the island of Borneo. Its population of 23.3 The governing structure is well defined and the roles
million (2000) consists of a variety of ethnic groups. and responsibilities of the leaders are clearly enshrined
Malaysia successfully developed from a commodity- in the corporate rules. The MRCS is managed on a
based economy to one focused on manufacturing. The committee system, with members of the national
Malaysian economy rebounded from a sharp recession executive committee chairing committees with specific
in 1998 and in recent years has enjoyed a booming sectoral responsibilities. Lines of communication and
economy and rapid industrialization, in keeping with the control are clearly laid out.
government’s stated aim of achieving developed nation
status by the year 2020. The national executive committee meets every six
weeks, and the national council, consisting of
Capital: Kuala Lumpur representatives from branches, government ministries
Population: 23.3 million (2000) and elected members, meets three times a year.
GNP per capita: US$ 3,500 (2000) Meetings are held at branch and chapter levels at least
Life expectancy: 73 years (1999) four times a year. Generally, meetings do take place as
Infant mortality rate: 7.9 per 1,000 live births (1999) frequently as specified.
Adult literacy rate: 92.5 per cent (2000)
Leadership training for youth is implemented through
formal and informal programmes such as camps and
2. Foundation competitions, while the staff occasionally attend skills-
enhancement training and seminars.
Mission
The mission statement of the Malaysian Red Crescent Human resources
Society (MRCS) is included in the 1997 corporate rules There are 42 staff at headquarters. The national
of the society, and reflects the Fundamental Principles of ambulance service employs 53 medical aides and at
the Movement. The rules are made available to the branch level there are 61 staff.
members in the 15 branches. The MRCS has established
a close working relationship with the government, The MRCS salary scale, though recently revised, is less
whilst maintaining its autonomy and independence. attractive than both the government and the private
sector scales, and includes no bonuses or pension
In the 1990s, the International Federation’s Strategic provision. A further study of this problem is envisaged.
Work Plan was taken by MRCS as the basis of its own Many of the headquarters staff of the MRCS are retired
long-term planning and strategies. From 2000 onwards, military personnel and government pensioners.
Strategy 2010 and the Hanoi Declaration (1998) will be

1 Partnerships in profile 2002-2003


Malaysian Red Crescent Society

The MRCS has a large and vigorous volunteer corps, peer support in terms of human/technical skills to other
and most of its programmes are managed by volunteers National Societies in the region. MRCS staff work as
at the branch and chapter levels, especially in the fields International Federation or ICRC delegates in other
of disaster relief and first aid. The MRCS has 278,170 countries, and MRCS leaders participate in various
members, of whom 25,723 are adult volunteers. International Federation commissions and study groups.

Financial resources In 2001 the ICRC opened an office in Kuala Lumpur.


The MRCS’s total expenditure for 2002 was The ICRC and the MRCS work together closely on
approximately CHF 1.2 million. The society carries out dissemination issues.
fund-raising activities such as golf tournaments, sale of
flags and stickers, sponsored runs and banquets, and it
plans to generate income from renting space in a new 4. Performance
headquarters building which will be built. Resource
development remains a priority for the MRCS. Activities
Relief and preparedness
Material resources The society has national disaster preparedness and
The MRCS owns buildings in seven states. It has 16 response programmes, which are implemented at
ambulances at headquarters and 36 at branch level, plus 46 national and branch level. The MRCS is the only
other vehicles and 23 boats. Its net current assets at June humanitarian organization to work alongside
2002 were over CHF 492,096 (headquarters level only). government agencies in the event of natural disasters. A
programme for Vietnamese boat people provided health
Organization/planning and community welfare services for a total of 258,460
A management consultant carried out a review in 1992, people between 1975 and 1996. MRCS involvement in
which resulted in a reorganization of the headquarters this programme finally ended in 1999, with the
structure. Following a “future directions” exercise remaining cases to be cared for by UNHCR. In 1997,
initiated in 1993, and involving an appraisal of current MRCS raised CHF 10.4 million towards the
structures and operations, the MRCS developed an International Federation’s relief operation in the
overall plan of action in 1993-1994 focused on ten core Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The MRCS
programmes, drawn up in much the same format as the continues to raise fund for international operations
post-Beijing Declaration regional plan of action, with either by the ICRC or the International Federation.
tasks, activities, time frame and budget. This was a five-
year plan terminating in 1998. In 2000, the headquarters Health and social welfare
structure was reorganized and positions were merged to The MRCS operates a telephone counselling service for
reduce the workforce and administrative expenditure. distressed people in Kuala Lumpur and a peer education
programme for youth on the prevention of AIDS. There
The finance department is staffed by qualified is a 24-hour emergency ambulance service in Kuala
professionals. The treasurer is also a qualified financial Lumpur, including an emergency motorcycle unit. The
professional. Annual audited accounts are required by society organizes a blood-donation programme and also
law and are produced. Branches are self-supporting and runs medical camps. Another programme aims to train
responsible for fund-raising, while headquarters one first aider in every home and first-aid competitions
provides assistance to the branches in the form of are also held.
equipment, and help for specific programmes.
Youth
Partnerships The main youth activities are peer education on
The MRCS works closely with a number of NGOs and HIV/AIDS, disaster response, first aid, youth camps and
is an auxiliary to the government, especially the exchange programmes.
ministry of national unity and social development which
is considered its counterpart ministry and which funds There are also fund-raising projects, dissemination of
the MRCS ambulance service in Kuala Lumpur. Other IHL, information activities and international youth and
partners are the ministry of defence (for dissemination staff exchange programmes.
of IHL to the armed forces), and the ministries of health,
education, youth and sports and foreign affairs. Relevance/effectiveness
There have been few formal evaluations of specific
The society works in close collaboration with the programmes, but the MRCS has, over the years, carried
International Federation in a number of ways and hosted out a series of self-assessments. National committees
for several years the International Federation’s regional responsible for specific programmes and branch
delegation in Kuala Lumpur which was relocated to committees assess the programmes for which they are
Bangkok in June 2000. The International Federation responsible. Dialogue sessions between branch-level
provides technical support to the society mainly for decision-makers and national officials are regularly
organizational development. The MRCS also provides organized to assess operational capacity. ■

Partnerships in profile 2002-2003 2

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