SM KING Edward VII’s brass band got a fresh breath of life in the form of a RM64,740 donation from the CIMB Foundation recently.

Band adviser Teoh Wei Kien was one of the happiest persons at the donation handover ceremony at the school in Taiping.

“On behalf of the school, we feel great because we can now add more instruments and recruit more members into our band,” Teoh said after witnessing the ceremony which was attended by CIMB Bank area retail manager Ayob Ismail, CIMB Bank Taiping branch manager Jeannie Tan Swee Chin and SM King Edward VII principal Yahaya Liman.

“We plan to use RM40,000 to buy new instruments and the remaining amount to hire professional music instructors so that we can be a band to be reckoned with,” he said.

Teoh said a well-respected brass band should consist of more than 80 band players and instruments.

“Now we are only a 32-piece band but with the extra cash in hand, we plan to increase the number of band players and instruments,” he added.

Asked about the band’s previous outings, Teoh said the band’s last public performance was during last year’s state-level National Day parade held in Gerik.

“We don’t perform much as many of our musical instruments are already out-of-tune due to old age,” he said in jest.

He welcomed more donations as the band members would look more impressive in their own brass band uniforms.

Welcome contribution: Ayob (white shirt) presenting a mock cheque to Yahaya (wearing songkok). With them are Tan (baju kebaya), band members and Teoh (blue batik).

“Now our band members can only afford to wear the school’s corporate uniform,” Teoh said.

Ayob said the donation was the fourth community project undertaken by CIMB Foundation with RM160,000 donated so far this year.

“The other projects we have funded include the mangrove project where we work closely with the Global Environment Centre to support the local communities in conserving their mangrove eco-system and also to enhance local action through education and information dissemination on the importance of mangrove forests,” he said.

“To ensure our children are well educated in fire safety, we are sponsoring the ‘Fire Kids Club’ safety workshop, not only in Taiping but nationwide.

“The workshop is scheduled to be held on Nov 21 at Tesco Taiping and parents are welcome to send their children, aged between five and 11 years, to participate,” he said.

“In our fourth project, we funded a camp for handicapped children and adults at Genting Highlands recently,” he added.