SLES rendering great service

Mohammed RASOOLDEEN in Riyadh

New President of the Sri Lanka Expatriates Society (SLES) Subramaniam Thangasamy has assumed the leadership of the 19-year-old organization from outgoing President Andrew Sinnen.

Sinnen installed Thangasamy during the society's 19th annual general meeting at the Sri Lankan Embassy held at the Sri Lankan mission in Riyadh on Thursday.

A new committee of 15 members was unanimously elected for the current year.

They include Ravika De Silva and Shamil Hameed as Vice Presidents, Michael Nickson as General Secretary and Sivakumar Raju as General Treasurer.

Aponsu said that the embassy is happy to have the services of the SLES in the Saudi capital. "It renders yeoman services for the welfare of the Sri Lankan community in Riyadh and Sri Lanka," he said.

Appreciating its services, Aponsu advised the new President to appoint a special committee to chalk out an integrated plan to identify new areas of services that could be rendered by the society to its community members.

The SLES operates a free medical clinic and benevolent funds to assist workers in need.

Thangasamy told the present members to help the society to develop a new plan for 2011 in deference to the proposals made by Aponsu. He said the Riyadh society remains an example for bringing the Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim communities under one umbrella to work for a common cause.

"The President of the organization is elected from each of these communities annually on a rotation basis."

Moving a vote of appreciation on the outgoing committee headed by Sinnen, a senior past president of the society said 2010 was an eventful year where the members witnessed several innovative programs that helped the organization increase its membership by two-fold.

He requested the new committee led by Thangasamy to organize new activities that would be beneficial to community members living in the Kingdom and in Sri Lanka.