Talk:Yap Kim Hao/@comment-110.20.3.43-20171126130021

 Vale to Rev Dr Yap Kim Hao:

 Although I have not met the man, I gathered from reading this write up by Roy Tang that he was understanding and compassionate Christian particularly in his advocacy on LGBT issues in an Asian conservative environment where religious/cultural/social discrimination, condemnation and taboos are frequently faced by the LGBT community.

 I empathise with Rev Yap's work in the LBGT community as I was also involved in a hospital environment during the outbreak of HIV in Sydney in the early 1980s. The social and religious condemnation (or stigma")  of these HIV patients coupled with the cruel progression of the diseases which ultimately led to death within 5 years of diagnosis, are difficult to bear. Fortunately, the HIV epidemic centre was located within a Catholic hospital, where the Nuns, the Sisters of Charity, were able to steer the hearts of the hospital staff to show care and compassion to those HIV patients without fear of getting infected and proceed to give the patients the best medical care possible.  Just imagine that most people would fear of being infected by touching the patients then.

 By the Grace of God these fears were overcome when staff began to adopt safety procedures when working with patient's blood and fluid samples for analysis, blood transfusion and bone marrow aspirations; and including surgery.

 Rev Dr Yap could be considered a man of vision for the conclusion he reached about the nature of LGBT people and his advocacy dissipated religious bigotry and condemnation; and brought LBGT people back to the fold.

 If I had known the man, I would pass on his work to other conservative religious leaders about inclusiveness in God's church and the experience of Safehaven as a model of inclusiveness for LBGT community. May his legacy live long as an example of "caritas christi urgos nos", the love of Christ compels us.

 Rest in Peace, Rev Dr Yap.

 Dr Anthony Pun, ACS Ipoh Alumni (Australia Chapter).

 26 Nov 2017

Dr Anthony Pun, ACS Ipoh Alumni (Australia Chapter)