"The organisation is renown for helping the poor and needy by providing them shelter, food and care," said Bitnulu Member of Parliament,Dato' Seri Tiong King Sing who quoted one the principles of Vision 2020 which is to "establish a full moral, ethical  and caring society, whose citizens are strong in religious and spiritual values and imbued with the highest of ethical standards."

"The Salvation Army touches the lives of many people on a regular basis through its community services," he said at a fund-raising dinner on the occasion of the opening of the new Salvation Army's building at Taman Ria, Jalan Tanjung Batu last Saturday evening.

Tiong's text of speech was read out at the function by his private assistant, Teo Ho Peng as Tiong had left for Kuala Lumpur on an urgent matter.

The Salvation Army has a network of 30 centres nationwide, providing services including homes for children, youths and the elderly; a centre for special children and youths, worship centres, community services and family thrift stores.

Tiong hoped that salvationists would also play an active and important role in curbing the undesirable or anti-social activities such as loitering, "bohsia", gansterism and abuse of drugs.

Tiong also suggested that the Salvation Army could perhaps hold educational talks for squatters as many children in local squatter as maany children in squatter colonies live in unhygienic conditions, exposed to communicable diseases such as cholera, dengue and others.

At the end of his speech, he announced the approval of RM3000 in government grant to the local Salvaation Army for its community services.

Earlier on Salvation Army Secretary General for Singapore-Malysia-Myanmar, Major Gillian Downer, mentioned that the salvationist have branches in 109 countries.

As for the local branch, she said its openning was made possible by the generousity of the local people.