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10/30/1962
- The Gentle Sisters of Assunta
by Gayl D. Ness
INSTITUTE OF CURRENT ORLD AFFAIRS Petaling Jaya Selangor The Gentle Sisters Assunta Malaya September Mr Richard H Nelte Institute Current World Affairs Madison Avenue New York New York Dear Mr Nelte Early Franciscan Missionaries Mary Malaya after being expelled Communist China They joined others doctor midwife nurse teachers They serve This height Emergency Briggs Plan resettling Chinese squatters nearly completed The decided could service helping Chinese New Villages They their first clinic Pucheng New Village nearby Petaling Jaya Malaya first GDN They organized medical service Private ambulances local people cooked drivers sisters travel making medical rounds Beth Puchong Petaling Jaya little masses rubber trees being felled wooden Neither doctor school The newly created Petaling Jaya Authority sisters convent asked build primary school The sisters established clinic especially mothers children While clinic being built patients treated Assunta Foundation Hospital GDN deliveries parlour convent From these modest beginnings arose Assunta Foundation Today Foundation MS million hospital kindergarten primary secondary school girls secondary school This grown tireless efforts sisters which called forth generous assistance Malaya other countries The Malayan Social Welfare Lotteries MS construction hospital Australia X ipment operating theaters under Colombo Plan German Catholics proceeds sacrificial Lenten offering The National Catholic Welfare New York ether distribution through hospital For their sisters organized their lotteries fairs bazaars house house raising campaigns As returned Assunta Fun Fair encountered sister doctor Ravet selling lottery tickets another sister For sister Ravet walking provided pleasant relax ation betrayed Gallic delight called invasion Methodist compound local appellation Methodist church school At Fun Fair itself encountered friends charming young Ceylonese Malayan woman president teachers unions staunch Methodist She selling cakes hospital I awkward Methodists explained We allowed lotteries I still books tickets By explaining hospital support school children helped cakes In American suburbia denom inations exchange sitting services regious social functions Here there gentle rivalry between groups Sister Cecilia mixed brood raise money through fairs lotteries appeal Assunta Hospital across divisions Most impressive however observe sisters their relations centractorso They stand operations inspect cajole threaten You remember money comes pockets school children cheat theme In rapid expansion building Mala standards constructionand honesty uphold people convinced sister Assunta their money government The comparison however government about least efficient purchaser construction There simply people stand between contractor taxpayer ultimate purchaser The trials tribulations sisters include those sophisticated professional variety In recent ralsing campaign appeal committee produced small pamphlet which something about Assunta offering doctors services available Malayan doctors reacted proper professional indignation against blatant violation section Hippocratic prohibits advertising The committee explained clerical doctors Assunta professed their ignorance phrase pamphlet This satisfied professional staved application sanctions sisters careful transgress sacred profession The sisters accused stealing patients search It appears gentle sisters first enter jurisdictional disputes ancient venerable profession The lastimg impression I Assunta striking contrast American counterpart At American hospital patient glamorous produced smiling receptionist takes charge wallet directs formidible array highly tralned skilled highly Sterilized highly technicians specialized every aspect shaking bottle lopping brain The reception Assunta scarcel glamour uniforms sisters produced atmosphere In place organization there confusion seems emanate combination humble approach human afflictions selfless desire serve The sterility there Assunta doctors their hands American doctors fewer infections America competence medical diplomas criteria There however specialization itemization minutae service certainly salaries status distinctions American medical profession If doctors claim doctors still people I think I rather gentle sisters Assunta their specialized higher status American counterparts The sisters Assunta originally serve Although middle wealthy classes discriminated against original forgotten Of 50000 patients treated babies operations performed third This contribution gentle sisters manifestation Christian social conscience Malaya American Methodists schools country The Sevent Day Adventists excellent hospitals Penang Singapore Catholics schools clinics Malaya The gentle sisters Assunta special value because latest probably babies their modern hospital However missionaries offer Malayans lesson service It primarily Indians Chinese benefit directly missionary activity however Malays means excluded attend schools treated hospitals along However British intervened Malaya century guaranteed Malay sultans exclusive rights soulsof Malays Religious freedom granted under constitution still technically offense piece religious Christian literature Malay The Moslem population protected against fervor Christian evangelists partake social services offered Whateve thinks their theology cannot favorably impressed these missionariem interpretation social implications Certainly doing great Malaya realize level social services toward which It stflVng nation Sinoerely Gayly Nes Received New York October