Malaysians, mostly from the local Chinese communities, started to make donations on Tuesday to help the disaster relief work in the earthquake-hit areas in southwest China.

Lim Gait Tong, president of the Federation of Chinese Associations Malaysia, donated 20,000 yuan (US$2,800) before other leaders from various local Chinese communities made the similar donations.

Lim said that he felt sad when people in China's Sichuan Province faced such a natural disaster, and members of his federation were willing to offer a little assistance within their capacity to help the disaster-hit areas.

Tan Kai Hee, managing director of Malaysia's Hai-O Group, donated 200,000 ringgit (62,500 U.S. dollars) on behalf of his enterprise. Koo Yuen Kim, a well-known young Malaysian businessman, also donated 200,000 ringgit.

Meanwhile, the Federation of Chinese Associations Malaysia called for Malaysians to make donations in various ways to assist the disaster relief efforts in China.

Other Malaysian groups and institutions are also planning to make their donation in various ways.

A Malaysian cultural organization said that it would hold a non-profit cultural performance to gather donation for the quake-hit disaster areas in China.

(Xinhua News Agency May 14, 2008)