Murray says…

I first met Sam about 30 years ago and was struck by how thoughtful he is and that he seemed to care a lot about people. We met up a lot over the next few years both professionally and socially.

I went through a really tough time a while back and I noticed that Sam, unlike a lot of other people we knew, was not judgemental and took time to understand what was going on. Sam stood by me and really understood my situation. His support was massive and I will always respect him for that.

We’re both Rotarians and we both enjoy a laugh and a joke, and meeting people. I really enjoy people from other cultures - maybe it’s my oddball background! I was born in Napier but my great grandfather was a British solder based in India. My great-grandmother was half-Indian.

Whatever the reason, Sam was a pathway to that for me, especially for meeting people from Asian cultures. Sam and I like giving to the community and helping others, that is part of our bond.

Sam says…

My first impression of Murray was he was professional, capable, trustworthy, and very approachable. He became a family friend very fast, a long time ago.

Murray was our Rotary Club’s past President and is also our President Elect. Under his leadership, we are planning a project aimed at unifying the communities that came from different countries who live in Christchurch.

I was born in Malaysia, but came to study in Christchurch in 1985. Since I have known Murray for so long, he has been a big part of my time in New Zealand, and we have a very close friendship now.