THE STAR, TUESDAY 15 DECEMBER 2015

special

CSR

Growing sustainable
communities

THE STAR, TUESDAY 15 DECEMBER 2015

2 csr

IF you happen to read the news

during the save the Malayan tiger
season, you would no doubt come
across a mention of Maybank yet
again supporting the efforts to
conserve the Malayan tiger
through its corporate social
responsibility (CSR) arm, the
Maybank Foundation.
You probably would not think
anything of it. After all, Maybanks
logo is a Malayan tiger, so it would
be only natural that it supports this
programme.
But what if the mascot for
Maybank were a tapir or a frog?
What if its logo were a gamelan
instead? You would have
wondered why it was helping
tigers instead of tapirs or the local
traditional music scene.
The synergy between the bank
and the tiger is what is called a
high fit between the brand and the
programme it supports through its
CSR. This is simply one aspect of
how companies affiliate
themselves with their CSR
activities.
How a programme is associated
with a company makes a big
difference to how people see it. It
influences the reactions of people
on the street, whether they
question the association, feel
unmoved by it, or find it moving
and memorable.
In The Impact of Perceived
Corporate Social Responsibility on
Consumer Behaviour, a paper by
Ronald Paul Hill of University of
South Florida and his team, it was
found that people viewed
businesses whose CSR was a good
fit for them positively, as long as
they also believed in the sincerity
of the companys actions.
Another example of a high-fit

Companies look for best-fit corporate responsibility projects not just to help communities but also enhance their
corporate image.

Perfect match
community programme is
Nestls Creating Shared Value
commitments that include
nutrition and the environment,
seeing as Nestl is a food company
that uses natural ingredients in its
products.
Food and nutrition are the basis
of our lives and the cornerstone of
our business. This is an area to
which we are able to contribute
and influence society at large, says
Alois Hofbauer, Nestl Malaysias
managing director.
Nestls other points of CSR
focus, water and rural
development, are also pragmatic
choices. As Hofbauer points out,
water is a critical resource and its

scarcity would have a drastic

impact on the quality of all our
lives and make business operations
unsustainable, while through
rural development, Nestl is able to
ensure the well-being of its various
stakeholders farmers, small local
entrepreneurs and suppliers.

Give it all youve got

The type of effort companies
are willing to implement is an
aspect of CSR that requires delicate
balancing.
Low-effort CSR benefits no one
consumers feel that companies are
insincere in their efforts and may
turn against them, and in turn,

companies are saddled with an

unsavoury reputation that may
have little to do with their actual
product.
Gone are the days of checkbook
CSR, where a company simply
threw a large amount of cash in
the general direction of a
do-gooder programme and called
it a day.
Oftentimes, companies are
judged for their CSR as much as for
their services. Companies have to
make it count when they invest in
programmes to help the
community or their chosen cause,
because it influences how they are
perceived.
In some cases, instead of aligning

with pre-existing programmes,

unique programmes are created
under a foundation wing.
Examples of this include Yayasan
Sime Darby, Malaysia Aeon
Foundation and the Jeffrey Cheah
Foundation.
The Jeffrey Cheah Foundation is
run by Sunway Group, whose
founder Tan Sri Dr Jeffrey Cheah
believes in the ability of education
to create systemic, widespread
social change.
Under the foundation are
Sunway Education Groups 12
learning institutions, including
Monash University Malaysia and
Sunway University.
This makes the foundation the
largest education-focused social
enterprise in Malaysia, says
Sarena Cheah, managing director
of Sunway Berhads Property
Development Division for Malaysia
and Singapore.
With this, the educational
institutions operating surpluses
are ploughed back into the
institutions or disbursed as
scholarships, research grants
and expansion of faculty and
facilities.
Well-known coffee company
Starbucks also has its own
charitable foundation.
The Starbucks Foundation is
responsible for, among other
things, supporting tea, coffee and
cocoa communities that supply the
same products to its stores.
This could mean anything from
investing in education for children
in remote areas of Guatemala to
water sanitation for farms in
Tanzania and healthcare
programmes in India.

> SEE NEXT PAGE

Committed to sustainability
CORPORATE Social Responsibility
(CSR) is an important component
of corporate management at Fuji
Xerox Malaysia.
For Fuji Xerox Malaysia, CSR is
part of its DNA and that means
everyone is aligned in thought as
the practice of CSR is embedded in
the company business.
Commitment is needed to
properly incorporate CSR because
it takes time. The company is

By helping to build strong and

sustainable business operations, its
business can deliver solutions,
manage environmental resources
efficiently and contribute to
socio-economic growth.
This idea is deeply integrated in
the companys daily operations and
has become part of Fuji Xerox
Malaysias DNA.

strongly
committed to
contributing
to society
through its
business.

Fuji Xerox Malaysia

believes in
empowering its
staff to perform
more efficiently.

Field mobility with

smartphones
One of Fuji Xerox
Malaysias main CSR
activities to be highlighted
is having field mobility
with smartphones in its
customer engineers (CE)
daily routine.
With the
increasing demand
of interactive
interface for
smartphones, Fuji
Xerox Malaysia
recently
equipped its
CEs with the
latest
smartphones to
ease their daily
productivity.
The main
objective is to
be on par with

the Asia Pacific Organisation (APO)

regional project.
Thus, Fuji Xerox Malaysia is
proud to say that it is among the
first to use this as a tool to improve
overall CE productivity.
Nowadays, customer
expectations are getting higher and
the company aims to increase
customer satisfaction.
Field mobility can improve the
internal work process practices
among CE where they can update
work status on mobile devices and
check service history.
They do not have to physically
check into the log book and can
order spare parts beforehand,
which will automatically improve
machine resolution time.
This practice can improve work
efficiency with real-time data
feedback to the system interface
from backend.
With this application, CEs can log
in anytime to check service history
and view the respective stock
status.
This improves customer
response time and resolution
rate in repairing the machine
in addition to saving time as CEs
can immediately proceed to the
customers location without
entering the office to key in data.
This system has been in beta
mode for two years. The regional

team has a very systematic

technology improvement in the
pipeline for every stage of its
development.
Phase 2 will take place for the
next two years to create more
features and functions applicable
to the current environment for
CEs.
As Fuji Xerox Malaysia
celebrates its 50th anniversary
next year, accelerating the
integration of sustainability into its
core business will continue to be
its priority.
It will continue
working hard to ensure
it maintains the
leading edge in the
field, while
contributing to
the lives of its
employees and
the wider
community.
The
company
hopes to
continue to
develop
and

engineer innovative products and

services that are of high quality
that brings no negative impact on
the environment.
At the same time, Fuji Xerox
Malaysia will continue to inspire
and engage its employees to build
an even stronger culture of CSR
within the company.

n For more information,

visit www.fujixerox.com.my
Providing field
mobility with
customer engineers
smartphones
increases overall
productivity.

THE STAR, TUESDAY 15 DECEMBER 2015

> FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

AS the study by the University of
Florida mentioned, sincerity is the
bedrock of consumer goodwill
when it comes to charitable works.
When companies face crises
or a shift in perception towards
negativity, what they do next in
terms of CSR is an important aspect
of regaining shareholder and
consumer trust.
Research paper Do Conflicts
Affect a Companys Corporate Social
Responsibility Policy? published in
the Utrecht University Law Review
compares the pre- and post-crisis
CSR of several large companies,
including Coca-Cola and Apple, and
how, if done right, CSR policies can
evolve for the better after a
scandal.
In 2010, several suicides were
reported at Foxconn, the company
that manufactures iPhones and
iPads for Apple. These suicides
were purportedly related to long
working hours and discrimination
from management at the Foxconn
facility.
Prior to this, Apple had been
criticised for its lack of
transparency when it came to
sustainability.
After the Foxconn incidents,
Apple chose to double down on
supplier misconduct as part of its
CSR policies.
Training programmes were
funded, audits increased in

csr 3

Building on perception
frequency to protect factory
employees and, if child labour
was discovered, the supplier
company was required to pay lost
wages and educational expenses.
It also led to Apple being the first
tech company to join the Fair
Labor Association, a non-profit
organisation that encourages
companies to disclose the names
and locations of their factories to
their consumers.
Compared with the 2010
Deepwater Horizon oil spill that
British Petroleum will never live
down and made little effort to
mitigate, we hardly see mention of
the Foxconn incident. It seems that
in this case, Apple made the right
decision about its CSR direction.

Location, location,
location
Many local companies are
directed by their location and
presence in an area in terms of
their CSR activities.
For companies such as Bank
Islam, location plays dual factors
of practicality and employee
involvement when it comes to CSR.
When it funds a programme
through its corporate responsibility
(CR) chapter AMAL Bank Islam, it
wants something that strongly

involves the community, a

representative of Bank Islam.
Bank Islams position as a
community-oriented bank signifies
its CSR focal points: community,
education, and the environment.
We want involvement from our
Bank Islam staff. If our staff is
familiar with the area and the
people, its a smoother process to
engage them in our programme,
says a Bank Islam representative.
This is especially so for one of its
programmes, Projek Bantuan
Rumah, where homes are built or
repaired for impoverished families.
Contractors and vendors for the
project are sourced according to
area, and familiarity plays a big
role in ensuring that reliable
contractors are retained and that
later on, follow-ups to the condition
of the homes can be done easily.
Westports Malaysia, located in
Klang, has Pulau Indah as the foci
of its community-based CSR. It has
directed RM5.6mil in funds
towards education so far, helped to
install CCTVs in vital areas and
volunteered its auxiliary police to
patrol the island.
Internally, many of our staff live
on the island, and they provide
suggestions on improvements for
the island, explains Westports
chief executive officer Ruben

Emir Gnanalingam of the

companys location-centred CSR
activities.
Our primary objective is to
ensure that the quality of life and
needs of Pulau Indah residents are
met.
How a company is perceived by

its consumers, the practicality and

logistics of funding, the fit of the
programme to a brand and the
areas where a company could
logically make the most impact
with CSR are the practical deciding
factors when it comes to
responsible funding.

One change at a time

Battling ignorance
Information has always been
Googles forte, and it has been
giving back in ways you may
not have realised.
Google Scholar, Google Earth
and Google Translate are not
just helping students with
assignments but also helping
scientists track information
and access research at
unprecedented levels.
Helping communities
It is easy for Microsoft to
create change because of the
amount of funding it has, but
the change it focuses on is longterm.
Teaching skills to
communities, encouraging
rural innovation, providing
education and internship

opportunities through
YouthSpark, and preserving
languages and culture through
Language Interface Packs make
up just part of the companys
billion-dollar community
efforts.
Growing the environment
Disney is probably not the
first company that comes to
mind when it comes to the
environment, but the
Disneynature films and the
Disney Worldwide
Conservation Fund have been
involved in programmes with
non-profit organisations that
include the conservation of
seahorses in China, bats in Fiji
and cheetahs in Botswana as
well as projects in 109 other
countries.

ADVERTORIAL

Fuji Xerox
At Fuji Xerox, we aim to reduce
our customers' carbon emissions
by seven million tonnes per year
by 2020. This is in addition to
achieving zero landfill, no
pollution and no illegal disposal
from our operations in the
coming years.
Across Asia Pacific, our CSR
philosophy is brought to life
through our consistent and
regular engagement with our
employees - senior management
and staff level alike - who are the
ambassadors of our CSR
commitments.
We embrace the notion of
Genko Itchi, the Japanese phrase
that translates to practise what
we preach.
In practice, Genko Itchi is
deployed across every aspect of
our business. For example, we
continue to support our
customers in shifting into using
green technology in their
document management, but we
also walk the talk ourselves.
By using the same equipment
and coming up with innovative
processes in our business, we can
help others to do the same. We
are pleased to see that customer
satisfaction towards our products
and services has remained high.
MyHijau Certification
Fuji Xerox Malaysia ecological
target is to sell more products as
we stand strong with
environmentally friendly
products.

Fuji Xerox Closed Loop System

With MyHijau certification, it is
an advantage for Fuji Xerox
Malaysia as a pioneer and leader
in environmental friendly
products. Selling more of our
products have shown support of
our customers towards
environmental conservation and
digital solutions.

Used by
customer

Zero landfill

Sorting
of parts

Collected

Reverse Logistics System

One of our main CSR activities is
our Reverse Logistics System.
The Fuji Xerox closed loop
system is where we reuse and
recycle used products. We have
established a sophisticated
reverse logistics system, where
used equipment and
consumables are collected from
our customers, and an advanced
integrated recycling centre is
established for our products after
use.
Abiding by the Extended
Producer Responsibility (EPR), we
take responsibility for all used
products and remanufacture,
reuse or recycle them to achieve
99.9% resource recovery. We have
effectively closed the loop of our
product life cycle, and in doing so
helped resolve a growing
electronic waste problem.
By using recycled resources, we
are reducing the requirement of
new raw materials through parts
reuse, and in some cases,
increasing our profitability by
remanufacturing parts.
The Fuji Xerox
Eco-Manufacturing plant in

Returned to the factory,

disassembled/cleaned

Inspection
Completed
and delivered

Returned
to primary
materials
Repair

Recycling
design
Quality inspection
and assurance

Centralized
production line

Thailand has the capacity to

disassemble and recycle 30,000
machines and 500,000 cartridges
per year.
We comply with the Department
of Environment (DOE) permits
and regulations in both Malaysia
and Thailand on trans-boundary
shipment of machines and

supplies, and the BASEL

Convention.
We have had no fines and
non-compliance related to
environment. Even though this
exercise is costly but this is the
principle of the founding fathers
and embedded within Fuji Xerox
itself.

Made into materials,

formed unto a shape

THE STAR, TUESDAY 15 DECEMBER 2015

4 csr

NESTLS business philosophy of

Creating Shared Value (CSV)
exemplifies the way it does
business.
For its business to prosper over
the long term, the company
believes that it is vital to add value
to the communities in which it
shares a presence.
In line with this, Nestl is
committed to ensuring that it
makes a positive impact by
enriching the lives of people in the
community.
CSV is a fundamental part of the
Nestl way of doing business. This
is best reflected in three core areas
that are vital to its business
strategy and in ensuring the
communitys quality of life:
nutrition, water and environment,
and rural development.
These areas have the greatest
potential for joint value creation
and are an integral part of Nestls
sustainability commitments, which
it strives to uphold and cultivate
for generations to come.
Based on our CSV philosophy as
well as our Nestl Corporate
Business Principles, we have
successfully conducted business
and created value in the local
community for more than a
hundred years now.
As a responsible company, we
believe that this goes hand-in-hand
with compliance to national laws
and international standards.
As a result, we have earned the
trust of local consumers and
nourished generations of
Malaysians, proving that it is
possible for the company to do
well, by doing good for the society,
says Alois Hofbauer, managing
director of Nestl Malaysia Berhad.

Nutrition
As the worlds leading nutrition,
health and wellness company,
Nestl is in the unique and
privileged position of being able
to address many global issues,
especially in the areas of nutrition,
which is linked to its core business
activities.
Nestl is committed to improving
the nutritional status and
promoting active lifestyles of
consumers, especially among
school-going children.
Nestls MILO brand collaborates
with the Education Ministry to
train and produce local role

Creating value for all

An agricultural officer (right)

checking on the forest tree seedlings
planted by one of the KAPOK
members in Kampung Bilit
Kinabatangan.

In line with Nestls Creating Shared Value philosophy, Hofbauer says that
carrying out projects that benefit the society plays a vital role in determining
the companys success.

models for Malaysian children.

This is to encourage young
individuals to participate in sports
and nurture their raw talent
through the best coaching and
resources available.
This partnership approach
effectively brings together different
sets of capabilities, combining
nutrition expertise and grassroots
sports to formulate and implement
a viable and sustainable
programme.
Besides providing support in
organising the workshop, MILO
also developed a nutritional
module that consists of basic and
sport nutrition as part of the topic
to be taught to teachers during the
workshop.
A nutritionist is provided
by MILO to ensure quality

engagement with the teachers

during the session.
MILO believes in sports as a
great teacher of life values. The
collaboration with the Education
Ministry is in line with its overall
attempt to further cultivate a
sporting culture among the
younger generation, expose them
to the benefits of active lifestyles
and subsequently produce welladjusted members of society.
MILO aims to equip at least
one teacher from each primary
school with knowledge and tools
that will enable them to lay a
quality foundation to nurture
schoolchildren to be active and live
a healthy lifestyle from young.
The 1Murid1Sukan
(1Student1Sport or 1M1S) policy
was introduced in 2011-2012. It
underlines the intentions of the
National Education Philosophy that
aims to produce individuals who
are well-balanced intellectually,
spiritually, emotionally and
physically.
MILO and the Education
Ministry work together to
accelerate this effort with the aim
of equipping each primary school
with a trained 1M1S teacher by the
end of next year.
Since the collaboration in May
this year, 46 sessions have been
conducted and 1,482 teachers
trained across Malaysia.

Water and environment

To push forward the 1Murid1Sukan policy, MILO works with the Education
Ministry to train teachers to nurture active and healthy lifestyles among
students.

The Nestl environmental vision

goes beyond the current practice of
minimising the environmental
footprint and advocates a much
broader concept of natural capital
management.
Nestl recognises that the long-

term success of the company is

dependent on the sustainability of
the worlds natural capital, which
consists of all minerals, water
resources, fossil fuels, biological
resources and other resources that
are utilised to manufacture
products.
Nestls commitment to water
and the environment is further
reflected through Project RiLeaf,
which was launched in 2011.
This reforestation project aims to
achieve forest connectivity as well
as minimise water pollution from
sedimentation and agricultural
run-offs through the restoration of
a green buffer zone along the
lower Kinabatangan River in
Sabah.
The project was further
extended with the signing of a
collaborative agreement with Sime
Darby Foundation, which has
committed to co-funding the
projects resources.
To date, more than 300,000 trees
have been planted along the
Kinabatangan River with the help
of the local community.
As an extension of the project,
the company regularly engages oil
palm smallholders to impart Good
Agricultural Practices that aim to
minimise oil palms environmental
footprint and encourage RSPO
(Roundtable on Sustainable Palm
Oil)-certified oil palm production.
To date, we have 115 oil palm
farmers who were audited and
certified under the RSPO Group
certification, says Hofbauer.
Another one of Nestls main
projects is its Paddy Club.
Launched in February 2012, this
initiative sees Nestl working with
local farmers in Kedah and
Sarawak in employing a new
rice-growing process known as
Semi-Aerobic Rice Intensification
(SARI) that is both innovative and
sustainable.
We need environmentally
friendly rice for the manufacturing
of our high-quality infant cereals.
This initiative will also provide
additional income to our paddy

farmers while bringing about

environmental benefits through
more efficient water usage and the
reduction of greenhouse gas
emissions, explains Hofbauer.
Nestles Paddy Club membership
began with just 20 members
cultivating more than 49ha of
paddy.
During last years harvest that
took place between August and
September, a total of 298 farmers
successfully harvested 5,044MT
(metric tonnes) of paddy from
788ha of paddy fields.
The national average rice yield
currently stands at 3.7MT per
hectare. With SARI, the farmers
were successfully able to exceed
this by achieving an average yield
of 6.4MT per hectare.
Farmers are taught to farm in
an organic way with environmentfriendly methods to increase highquality yields, which we use as raw
materials for our products, says
Hofbauer.
It is a win-win situation for
everyone we invest in farmers
and they provide us with quality
raw materials.
This is part of the Nestl CSV
philosophy, which states that we
can create long-term shareholder
value and benefit society
simultaneously.

Spicing up the
community
Malaysian farmers in Kelantan
supply fresh chillies to MAGGI as
part of the Nestl Chilli Club (NCC)
contract farming scheme.
NCC is a collaboration between
the Nestl Agricultural Services
Department and Pertubuhan
Peladang Kawasan Bukit Awang.
In line with its CSV approach,
Nestl believes that to create longterm value for the company, it
must concurrently create value for
society.
Towards this end, the NCC helps
improve the quality of life for the
rural community by providing
many farmers with a sustainable
source of income, educating them
on best agricultural practices to
help them grow quality raw
materials.
The farmers are then able to
become responsible and reliable
suppliers of good-quality fresh
chillies to Nestl.
In turn, Nestl offers a fair
market price for its produce. The
company is pleased to note that
the NCC has proven to be very
successful, giving local farmers
financial independence on top of
improving their livelihood.
As CSV is such an integral part of
how Nestl runs its business, it is
essential for the management to be
personally involved in CSV
strategies and policies.
I am accountable for the success
of the company, and success is not
limited to profits but also how
much value we create for the
society in Malaysia, says
Hofbauer.

n For more information,

visit www.nestle.com.my/csv

THE STAR, TUESDAY 15 DECEMBER 2015

THE STAR, TUESDAY 15 DECEMBER 2015

6 csr

Scholarship recipients and guests with guest of honour Minister of Higher Education Malaysia Datuk Seri Haji Idris Jusoh (standing, 11th from left) at the 15th Jeffrey Cheah Foundation (JCF)
Scholarships and Awards Ceremony 2015 held at the Jeffrey Cheah Hall, Sunway Campus.

Support, growth, opportunity

THE Jeffrey Cheah Foundation

(JCF), which holds the ownership
and equitable rights to 12 Sunway
educational institutes, champions
equal access to quality education.
This year, the not-for-profit
organisation disbursed a record
amount of RM45mil in scholarships
to more than 3,000 recipients.
More than 3,000 recipients
benefited from the recent JCF
Scholarships and Awards
Ceremony held on September 22.
This ceremony is held annually
for Sunway University and Sunway
College students who have
exhibited outstanding academic
and co-curricular achievements.
Over its 19 years of advocating
and supporting learning without
limits, JCF has given an excess of
RM210mil in scholarships to a
diverse group of more than 23,000
deserving students.
However, Tan Sri Dr Jeffrey
Cheah, AO, founding trustee of JCF,
emphasised in his speech at the
ceremony that scholarships are not
just about the numbers.
It is the meaning and
significance of the scholarship that
matter. The benefits of quality
education can never be quantified
in absolute terms, but in the
enormity and greatness of the
impact it has on an individuals
life, he said.

Bringing dreams to
fruition
Dr Cheahs dedication to making
dreams come true began as a
personal purpose. As a believer in
the power of good education, he
ventured into education in the

midst of the 1980s recession to do

his part in building the nation.
It was a tough time then, when
education was not as accessible
or widely available as it is now.
Dr Cheah saw many talented
individuals who never realised
their potential in his hometown of
Pusing, Perak, and decided to make
a change in his own way.
The establishing of the Jeffrey
Cheah Foundation has to a large
extent fulfilled my dream. Malaysia
has an abundance of talented and
bright minds with the potential to
drive our countrys progress even
further, he said.
JCF is guided by the principles of
giving to society through quality
education in perpetuity, which it
performs by channelling the assets
and operating surpluses of the 12
Sunway Education Group
institutions back into providing
sustainable quality education
through scholarships, research and
upgrading of facilities and staff
competencies.
In doing this, scholars who are
innovators, thinkers and leaders
are looped in to elevate the nation
through education.
During the ceremony, Dr Cheah
also expressed hope that these
scholars would be open to
providing opportunities to society
by helping fellow school students
and others in need, much as they
were provided opportunities in
education.

Global efforts elevate

nation
Dr Cheah stressed the
importance of continuous learning

The 4th Southeast Asian Studies Symposium, the first to be held outside the
University of Oxford, was officially launched by the Sultan of Perak H.R.H
Sultan Nazrin Shah, an alumnus of the University of Oxford, who also
delivered a royal keynote address at the event.

for students to be on par with

others on the international stage.
In an increasingly challenging
and competitive world, skills that
are cutting edge in 2015 will
become outdated next year, which
is why it is important to never stop
learning, he said.
In line with this challenge, JCF
will be strengthening its ties with
foremost universities and research
institutes all over.
This includes exciting new
projects with the University of
Oxford, most notably the Southeast
Asian Studies Symposium 2015,
which was held for the first time
outside of Oxford in joint
partnership with Sunway

Tunku Zain Al-Abidin ibni Tuanku Muhriz (front row, sixth from right), founding president of the Institute for
Democracy and Economic Affairs, delivered a keynote address at the Executive Leadership School, one of the many
programmes organised by the Center for Asia Leadership.

University this year.

Following its successful run, the
fifth symposium will be held at
Oxford University in April next
year.
JCF is also building on its past
successes by introducing a fullfledged Center for Asia Leadership
(CAL) in affiliation with the
Harvard University Asia Centre.
The Sunway University campus
has been chosen as the Asian base
after two years of fruitful
collaborations running the Asia
Leadership Youth Camp and Asia
Leadership Trek, among others.
With CAL at Sunway, we can
look forward to greater knowledge
transfer via the in-flow of
graduates from Harvard
University, Stanford University,
Massachusetts Institute of
Technology and other Ivy League
universities, who will bring with
them cutting-edge knowledge and
best world practices.
There are already more than
20 leadership and strategy
programmes lined up for next
year, catering to different groups of
students, youths and working
professionals, Dr Cheah shared.
Besides that, the Jeffrey Cheah
Travel Grants to Harvard
University are also in its second
year.
Since last year, there have been
six inbound Harvard scholars who
visited Sunway University to

pursue their research in the SouthEast Asian region and nine

outbound Sunway University and
Monash University Malaysia
scholars to Harvard University to
advance their research and engage
with eminent professors in their
respective fields of study.
JCF plans to aid many more
young academics and postgraduate
students in learning, collaborating
and exchanging knowledge,
reaping the full benefit of the
Harvard experience in years to
come.
Expanding on the Harvard link,
Sunway will soon partner with the
leading Harvard Medical School to
establish a regional hub for
postgraduate medical education
and training in Sunway Medical
Centre, Bandar Sunway.
According to Dr Cheah, a signing
has taken place between Sunway
Healthcare Services Group,
Sunway University and Harvard
Medical School, after Harvard
officials who visited the facilities
were impressed that Sunway has
the right ingredients and
infrastructure to take the project
forward.
Needless to say, when it comes
to fruition, this will be a major
breakthrough in furthering the
quality of continuing medical
education in Malaysia. It will
propel the country as a medical
education hub to be reckoned with
in Asean, he said.
With all these and more in
store, JCF is set to bring education
to greater heights in the near
future.
Furthermore, as Higher
Education Minister Datuk Seri
Idris Jusoh said at the awards
ceremony, JCFs vision and efforts
are in line with the Governments
aims under the Malaysia Education
Blueprint 2015-2025 for Higher
Education.
On a personal level, Dr Cheah
hopes that scholars share Sunway
Groups values of integrity,
humility and excellence moving
forward, using the scholarship as a
stepping stone towards greater
achievements.
He continues to champion his
purpose through JCF and Sunway
Group, elevating education in
Malaysia and Asia as a whole.

n For more information, visit

www.jeffreycheahfoundation.org.my

The Star, tuesday 15 december 2015

csr 7

A sweet sound
In August this year, the Jeffrey
Cheah Foundation (JCF) raised
RM70,000 through a charity recital
called A Night of Musical
Kaleidoscope.
The event saw close to 800
people at a musical extravaganza
that took them on a journey
through musical history.
It was presented by the Perak
Society of Performing Arts, whose
international ensemble comprises
members from around the world
led by renowned conductor Eugene
Pook.
The performance featured
acclaimed clarinet soloist
Andrew Simon, who is also the
principal clarinettist of the
Hong Kong Philharmonic
Orchestra.
Sunway University Ensemble,
which includes several JCF Talent
Scholarship recipients, also
performed at the event.
This ensemble has garnered
a steady reputation as a
highly sought-after community
ensemble for corporate events and
benefits.
All proceeds from the event
were channelled into supporting
JCF Community Scholars, who are
from homes and orphanages
around the country.
JCF has aided 144 such bright
students to date and will continue

The PSPA International Ensemble comprises members from the United

States, Hong Kong, Singapore, the Netherlands, Canada and Malaysia.

to grant access to equal education.

This year, another 20 young
Malaysians received the
opportunity to pursue quality
tertiary education with full tuition
coverage, accommodation, living
allowances and books.
Senior executive director of
Sunway Education Group and
Sunway University Dr Elizabeth

Lee expressed her gratitude on

behalf of the group to the many
corporations and members of the
public who have not only
supported the JCF Community
Scholars but also helped propagate
an appreciation for music and
performance through their
participation in the musical charity
night.

Scholarship options abound

the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation provides opportunities for outstanding students who have displayed
admirable achievements:
Merit-based

l Sunway University
Postgraduate Degree
Scholarship

their individual programmes

at the end of their course at
Sunway University.

l Sunway University

l Jeffrey Cheah Travel

Masters Degree by Research

Scholarship

Grants for Southeast Asia

Studies at Harvard
University Offered to
students and staff of Sunway
Education Group in
collaboration with Harvard
University to encourage
greater research and
knowledge transfer between
leading individuals from both
institutions.

l The Chancellors
Scholarship for Sunway
University and Lancaster
University Commemorates
the Sunway UniversityLancaster University
collaboration in joint-degree
programmes in the areas of
business, computer technology,
psychology and
communication.

young Malaysians with a

monthly family household
income below RM5,000 to
pursue a diploma or a degree
in select fields.

l Sunway Education GroupElena Cooke Education Fund

For young Malaysians
pursuing a diploma in select
fields or a degree in computer
science or business.
Need-based in collaboration
with media organisations

Need-based

l Nanyang Tertiary Education

Fund
l Sin Chew Daily Education
Fund
l Sun-MAPCU Scholarship
Scheme
l The Star Education
Fund
l Sunway-Berita Harian
Scholarship

l Jeffrey Cheah Special

l Jeffrey Cheah Foundation

Others

Entrance Scholarship
Awarded to enrolling
freshmen in recognition of
their prior academic
achivements.

Community Scholarship
Offered to 20 less-privileged
budding potentials yearly for
diplomas in business, events
or hotel management, and
information technology.

l Sunway Excellence
Scholarship Awarded to
outstanding students pursuing
degrees in actuarial science,
financial analysis or financial
economics.

l Jeffrey Cheah Scholastic

Award Awarded to students
with outstanding results in

l Sunway University CISECA Scholarship Opened to

all Chinese Independent
School (CIS) students sitting
for the UEC (Unified
Examination Certificate)
examination.

l Jeffrey Cheah Foundation

Scholarship For bright

l BN Youth Scholarship
Scheme
l Sunway Sports/ ECA
Achievers Award
l Sunway Music Talent
Scholarship
l Sunway Sports
Scholarship

Beyond education
Prof Tan Sri Dr Ghauth Jasmon
(pic) is director of the Board of
Sunway University, chairman of
the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation
Scholarships and Awards
Committee and chairman of
Malaysia Innovation Hub.
He talks about the expanding
role and impact of JCF on the
local education scene as well as
upcoming efforts in growing the
countrys research-based
knowledge ecosystem.
Tell us about your
involvement in
education.
From 2008 to 2013, I was
the 10th University
of Malaya (UM) vice-chancellor.
Prior to that, I was the founder,
president and chief executive
officer of Multimedia University
for 11 years and the chief
executive officer of Unity College
International for 10 months.
During my time as the vicechancellor of UM, I was fortunate
to be part of driving the
university to advance in the
QS World University Rankings.
We also managed to get into
Shanghai Jiao Tong Universitys
top 500 Academic Ranking of
World Universities in 2010,
where we have remained since.
I helped initiate the High
Impact Research (HIR)
programme in 2010; in August
2011, we received special
research allocation of almost
RM600mil from the former
Higher Education Ministry for
UM HIR.
As an academic, I am a strong
believer in research and I have
contributed to more than 30
international journal papers, 45
conferences/seminars and other
publications.
Why is JCF an important
innovation for education?
JCF was founded by
Sunway Groups founder
and chairman Tan Sri Dr
Jeffrey Cheah, AO, in 2010 when
he transferred the ownership
and equity rights of Sunway
Education Groups 12 learning
institutions which then was
valued at RM720mil, and is today
estimated to be worth more than
RM1bil into the foundation. It
is now the largest educationfocused social enterprise in
Malaysia.
This unique operating model
liberates the constituent
institutions to pursue quality
education instead of
concentrating on the pursuit of
profits, which most private
universities are apt to do due to
shareholder pressure.
This is a very effective model
as we are seeing Sunway
University climbing up in global
rankings. Sunway University
recently received five stars in
teaching, facilities and
employability in the QS World
University Rankings, which is
regarded as one of the most
authoritative rankings of its kind
across the world.
This places it in the ranks of
the best universities in the world

such as Princeton University and

Stanford University.
This follows the No.1 ranking it
has just received in Asia for
employability as indicated by the
i-Graduate Student Barometer
Survey, a global benchmark for
student experience.
JCF also acts to democratise
access for quality education for
deserving youths.
By disbursing scholarships to
deserving youths, JCF enables
bright, talented students who
would otherwise be left behind to
pursue their future.
This helps the nation build a
strong talent pipeline to ensure
that we remain competitive in a
global economy.
JCF also acts as a bridge for
knowledge exchange through
academic and research
collaborations with global
education leaders such as
Harvard University, Oxford
University, University of
Cambridge, Monash University,
Lancaster University and Le
Cordon Bleu.
Besides enabling a two-way
flow of scholars between
Sunways institutions and the
partner institutions, JCF also
encourages research
partnerships in South-East Asia
through the Jeffrey Cheah
Institute on Southeast Asian
Studies.
How can JCF further its
role in the field of
scholarship and
education?
One of JCFs latest
initiatives to deepen
research within the country is
introducing PhD scholarships.
The university has created 20
fully funded PhD studentships,
which will be disbursed through
JCF. The studentships, which will
be for a duration of three years,
will cover the programme fees of
successful applicants and a
monthly stipend of RM3,000.
Studentships, which are
available to both Malaysian and
international students, are
available for business as well as
computing and information
systems programmes.
With more PhD holders in the
country, we will also be able to
elevate the quality of lecturers in
the country.
Within the Scholarship Award
Committee, we are currently
looking at how we can work with
other stakeholders such as
government bodies, education
institutions and media partners
to reach out to more students in
both rural and urban areas.

THE STAR, TUESDAY 15 DECEMBER 2015

8 csr

WESTPORTS Malaysia is a leader in

the international port industry,
offering an array of first-class
services supported by suitable
water depth and its prime position
in the region.
These are delivered by a
diverse workforce consisting of
approximately 4,000 staff across
multiple interconnected
disciplines.
This seaport terminal grew from
a small port in Pulau Indah to a
mega hub for vessels from various
shipping companies.
Over the years, the organisation
has shared its wealth with the
island community through various
initiatives that seek to improve the
communitys quality of life.
This includes programmes to
eradicate poverty, enhance
education, refurbish community
facilities, care for the orang asli
and ensure a safe environment for
people of the island to flourish in.
Around 40% of Westports
employees are residents of Pulau
Indah, where the Westports
Poverty Eradication Programme
has played a great part in lowering
the poverty rate.

The power of education

Westports has been supportive
of the three schools in Pulau Indah:
Sekolah Kebangsaan Pulau Indah,
Sekolah Kebangsaan Pulau Indah 2
and Sekolah Menengah
Kebangsaan Pulau Indah.
Westports has sponsored these
schools through the Trust School
Program under Yayasan Amir to
improve the quality of education
for the Pulau Indah students.
For three days in April, the
human resources department ran
the Ponteng Sifar (Zero Truancy)
campaign in these schools during
assemblies to motivate students to
attend school, following a drop in
attendance last year.
To encourage better attendance
and improve their performance in
school, classes whose students
collectively recorded the highest
attendance rate were rewarded by
Westports.
This also served as a motivation
to all students to compete with
each other to maintain their good
attendance. Later that month, the
same department organised an
award ceremony for outstanding
students of SMK Pulau Indah.
The top five students from Form
Five and PT3 (Pentaksiran
Tingkatan 3) examinations were
among those presented with book
vouchers in recognition of their

Students of SMK Pulau Indah with the Westports engineering team members during a port visit.

Involvement in society

good examination results.

Westports has always
emphasised the importance of
education; giving out the vouchers
was simply a way of encouraging
students to aim for greater
achievements, says human
resource manager Rajendra
Parshad.
Members of the staff are also
ready to share their knowledge
and provide guidance to young
ones, as evidenced by various
student engagement activities
carried out earlier this year.
Their efforts included a
motivational talk for candidates of
major examinations and a talk for
young women and female teachers
of SMK Pulau Indah.
Younger students at SK Pulau
Indah were treated to animated
movies to improve their use and
grasp of the English language.
Students were also delighted
when they got a chance to
participate in an abseiling crash
course taught by Westports port
police team. Over in SK Pulau
Indah 2, pupils were given a
different sort of lesson a safety
briefing with fire drill activities.

Creating, upgrading
spaces
The company also contributes
towards upgrading facilities. The
finance department provided 100
new chairs for students of SK Pulau

Westports business and social responsibility practices can be seen in its

mangrove replanting initiative carried out in May.

Indah, for use in the examination

halls.
The information technology
department then set up a lightemitting diode electronic message
board in the schools, too. The
board serves as a device to send
out important announcement to
all parents and welcome visitors
to the school.
In June, 20 civil, electrical and
mechanical engineers used their
skills for social good at the same
school they repaired the airconditioners, fluorescent lights,
ceilings and fans over the course
of one week.
The team got our input prior to
the renovation to ensure that what
they did counted and was not just
for the sake of doing something,
and for that, I cannot thank them
more, says one of the teachers
Nor Afidah Basirin.
Another revamping project was
previously carried out in March
by the container department
members, where they cleaned
the Tabika Baitullah Husna
kindergarten and installed a new
playground for the children.
The team of 30 staff members
unclogged drains, cut grass and
raised RM1,500 to fix the premises
leaking roof.
Besides their continuous
presence in schools, Westports
employees reach out to all
members of the Pulau Indah
community in other ways.

For example, engineers came

together to refurbish the
dilapidated Surau Haji Muhammad
in March. The place of worship of
the largely Muslim community in
the area was given a fresh look
with newly painted walls and
clean, clear surroundings as well
as pest control treatment for its
termite infestation.
Pulau Indah also has an orang
asli settlement, which was visited
by a team from the conventional
department at Westports in April.
Sixteen employees spent around
10 hours cleaning up pavements,
trimming grass at the community
hall lawn and collecting rubbish in
the area.
Resident Tok Batin Intan spoke
for the people when he expressed
delight and appreciation at the
companys efforts to connect with
and support the orang asli
community, and hoped for similar
activities to be carried out in the
future.

Opportunities for
betterment
Employees of Westports believe
in their ability to create significant
change for themselves and others
around them.
This is embodied in the
companys business and social
responsibility practices and can be
seen in initiatives such as the
mangrove replanting programme

Community Sailing Program participants from SMK Pulau Indah.

held in May.
Together with Infinity Logistics
and Transport Sdn Bhd, Central
Spectrum Sdn Bhd and Persatuan
Pendidikan dan Kebajikan Jaringan
Nelayan Pantai Malaysia (Jaring),
marketing and commercial
department members planted
200 mangrove trees and seeds
in Pulau Indah.
This was a vital step in setting up
the first mangrove nursery in
Selangor. Head of marketing
P. Vijaya Kumar emphasises that
mangrove forests are important to
fishing communities in the coastal
area because they rely on the
biodiversity for survival and
livelihood.
In the festive spirit back in July,
the finance department presented
essentials and Hari Raya goodies
to seven underprivileged senior
citizens on the island.
Led by chief financial officer and
head of finance department Lim
Beng Keem, the volunteers also
spent some time speaking with and
entertaining the senior citizens to
remind them that they were not
alone.
For many years, Westports has
provided hardcore poor families
and underprivileged senior citizens
with financial assistance.
Whether for the old or young,
Westports employees do what they
can to put smiles on faces and
make dreams come true.
The company joined hands
with the Royal Selangor Yacht
Club (RSYC) to sponsor 12 SMK
Pulau Indah students in the
beginners stage of the RSYC/
Westports Community Sailing
Programme, which consisted of
nine training sessions over the
weekends.
These initiatives display
Westports ongoing commitment in
improving the standard of living in
Pulau Indah as its staff feel a sense
of social responsibility towards the
community they are in.
Moving forward, the seaport
terminal strives to enhance its
efforts and support within the
island and for society at large.

n For more information,

visit www.westportsmalaysia.com

The Star, Tuesday 15 december 2015

AdverTORIAL

TRANSFORMATION
THROUGH TECHNOLOGY
As a global technological giant,
Samsung Electronics Co Ltd inspires
the world and shapes the future with
transformative ideas and
technologies, redefining the worlds
of TVs, smartphones, wearable
devices, tablets, cameras, digital
appliances, printers, medical
equipment, network systems, and
semiconductor and LED solutions.
Samsung is also leading in the
Internet of Things space through,
among others, its Smart Home and
Digital Health initiatives. It employs
319,000 people across 84 countries.
It is only natural that a company
with such wide reach and influence
engages in community-building
programmes and activities. Locally,
Samsung Malaysia Electronics does
this through its Samsung Global
Corporate Citizenship initiative,
which champions causes in these
areas:

Education

Samsung believes in the power of

education to transform lives and
elevate a nation, especially when it
breeds innovation.
This spirit was captured in the
Solve For Tomorrow competition,
which saw 20 shortlisted student
groups come together at the
Learning Festival at the White Box
@Publika and turn their ideas into
prototypes that seek to solve
everyday predicaments.
Ten finalists were chosen to
present their ideas and prototypes to
a panel of esteemed judges
consisting of representatives from
Samsung Electronics, Higher
Education Ministry, Malaysian
Industry-Government Group for
Higher Technology and MyTriz
innovation association. The
participants and judges engaged in
a five-minute presentation and fiveminute question-and-answer session.
Incidentally, the judges top three
favourite ideas were ones that
merged the areas of health and
technology: the Flex Controlled
Electrical Wheelchair and Lower
Extremity Exoskeleton Device
projects from Tunku Abdul Rahman
University College (TARUC)
students, as well as the Portable
Rehabilitation for the Disabled
prototype by a Monash University
Malaysia participant.
These winners shared the prize
of a RM60,000 seed grant to
advance their prototypes, were
awarded internships with Samsung
Malaysia and took home the latest

The three winning teams and the team who took home the Peoples Choice award pose for a victory photo with
(second row, second from left, from left to right) Datuk Roh Jae Yeol, director of Corporate Affairs Samsung Malaysia
Electronics; Datuk Dr Mohd Yusoff Sulaiman, chief executive officer, MiGHT (Malaysian Industry-Government Group
for High Technology); and Lee Sang Hoon, president, Samsung Malaysia Electronics.
Samsung devices.
Members of the top three teams
will also benefit from a learning trip
to South Korea, where they will meet
and speak with key minds at the
Samsung headquarters to learn what
it takes to shape the future with
transformative technological
solutions.
There was also a Peoples Choice
Award, which went to another
TARUC teams Insect Zapper project
that made catching insects easier by
increasing the swing area of the
device while using less wrist energy.
A learning forum on Innovation in
Education was also held on the
same day featuring opinion leaders
and experts in the areas of
technology and innovation to
discuss whether key stakeholders
were doing enough to encourage
students to embrace innovation and
the spirit of technopreneurship.

Health and medical

If education is the backbone of a

countrys success, then upgrading
its provision is a step in the right
direction for developing
communities.
Malaysia has a growing pool of
medical talent and skills supported
by technological advancements in
areas such as medical imaging.

It is fitting, then, that Samsung

launched the UKMMC-Samsung
SONO School in collaboration with
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
Medical Centre (UKMMC) in
November.
This school will offer programmes
and practical training as part of the
Continuing Medical Education
programme, in line with the Health
Ministrys objective to increase the
number of certified sonographers in
the country.
Developed with imperative input
from medical specialists, the school
provides training for medical
professionals, including doctors,
radiologists and lab technicians
nationwide who attend at least one
training session quarterly.
They undergo specialised training
in obstetrics/gynaecology and
radiology, which is made possible
with top-notch medical equipment
such as the Samsung WS80A Elite
OB/GYN ultrasound and the
Samsung RS80A Prestige radiology
ultrasound machines.
These machines promise betterquality imaging by incorporating
latest technologies, which will
enhance user experience and also
workplace productivity, allowing
professionals to make more accurate
diagnoses in providing the best

Together with Human Resources Minister Datuk Sri Richard Riot Anak Jaem (seated seventh from left),
the first batch of ILP Kota Kinabalu students celebtrates the completion of their course at the JTMSamsung TECH Academy.

healthcare services.
This public-private partnership is
therefore set to enhance quality
healthcare education for medical
practitioners, thus elevating the
standard of healthcare in the country,
as emphasised by Samsung
Malaysia Electronics director of
corporate affairs Datuk Roh Jae Yeol:
The UKMMC-Samsung SONO
School aims to provide medical
practitioners with quality training in
ultrasound to enhance their
diagnostic skills.
We hope the schools focus on
education and training for medical
practitioners will benefit the
healthcare industry and go some
way to improve lives.
The UKMMC-Samsung SONO
School is the second of its kind after
the University Malaya Medical
Centre school. Through these
schools, Samsung hopes to develop
training hubs to elevate medical
knowledge, expertise and service in
Malaysia.

Employment and
community

Under the 11th Malaysia Plan,

the Government aims to produce
more technical talent to support
development in pursuit of first-world
status it wants the workforce to

constitute 35% skilled workers by

2020.
Samsung heeded the call to
produce more skilled and
knowledgeable employees, working
together with the Manpower
Department of the Human Resources
Ministry to launch Malaysias second
Samsung TECH Academy in Sabah
in September.
Located in Kota Kinabalus
Industrial Training Institute
(also known as ILP), this academy
provides specialised training
courses that comprise month-long
training programmes conducted
as part of the Certificate in
Electronics Industry programme at
the institute.
Students undergo 100 hours of
vocational training in both technical
theory and hands-on exposure for
smart televisions and smartphones
two of Samsungs leading product
categories.
Instructors at ILP were trained by
Samsungs technical experts so they
are able to better prepare future
technicians for their professional
growth in the industry.
This will be supported by a
constant upgrade of modules to
match industry demands. For
example, the Diagnosis and Repair
of Smart TV, and Smartphone
modules will be continually refreshed
to maintain relevance to current
Samsung products. Modules on
Samsung air-conditioning system,
washing machines and refrigerators
are also in the pipeline.
Students who complete their
vocational education at ILP, including
the two modules offered at Samsung
Tech Academy, will graduate with the
SKM 3 Certification that will open the
doors to skilled job opportunities
within the electrical appliances
industry.
The Samsung TECH Academy in
Malaysia is part of a global initiative
to increase the number and quality
of technicians, address the
deficiency of technical talents and
ultimately meet market employment
needs, says president of Samsung
Malaysia Electronics Lee Sang
Hoon.
The only other Samsung TECH
Academy in the country is located in
Kuala Lumpur and has benefited
about 134 students from seven
courses to date. As of December
last year, 116 Samsung TECH
Academies have benefited
approximately 15,779
youths worldwide.

A demonstration of the Samsung ultrasound machines.

THE STAR, TUESDAY 15 DECEMBER 2015

10 csr

Spreading the spirit of amal

By GREGORY BASIL
PERFORMING good deeds is an
integral aspect of the Islamic faith.
It is fitting then that Bank Islam
chose the name AMAL, which
means good deeds or actions in
Arabic, as its corporate
responsibility (CR) brand.
Officially established on July 6
this year during the holy month of
Ramadan, the AMAL brand was set
up to expand the social impact of
Bank Islams CR activities.
The brand name was also
initiated to encourage Bank Islams
customers and vendors to team up
with the financial institution in
carrying out various CR
programmes. With the inception of
AMAL, all welfare-related activities
by Bank Islam carry this brand
name.
Armed with the AMAL brand,
Bank Islam wasted no time in
expanding its reach to
communities across the country
throughout the year.

Reaching out
AMALs latest CR project the
AMAL Bank Islam-Salam Relief
Temenggor-Belum Expedition
took place last month and ran over
a course of three days in Kampung
Sungai Chiong, a village located
deep within the Temenggor-Belum
Forest Reserve.
A total of 60 people, including
Bank Islam staff and
representatives from eight
non-profit organisations (NGOs)
Salam Relief, Lepsa Care, Muslim
Chef Association, Sabasun, Haluan,
Pertubuhan Amal Penyayang
Selangor, Wanita Prihatin and
Shah Alam Komuniti travelled to
Temenggor-Belum to provide the
300 orang asli villagers with free
medical care, food items and other
necessities as well as sports
equipment and toys for the
children.
This village was handpicked for
this project because it had the
biggest population out of any other
orang asli settlement in the
Temenggor-Belum area.
The team also took with them
prayer kits and provided the
villagers with much-needed moral
and religious support to help
strengthen their faith.
Due to its remote location, the
village did not have a proper water
supply system so the villagers had
to go back and forth from the

as the winner.

A new lease on life

Datuk Seri Zukri Samat (right), Education Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid (fourth from right) and Petrosains chief
executive officer Tengku Nasariah Tengku Syed Ibrahim (fifth from right) during the prize-giving ceremony of
Petrosains Science Show Competition 2015, which was sponsored by Bank Islam.

nearby lake to fetch water.

Realising how tedious and tiring
this process was, Bank Islam and
the NGO volunteers installed a new
piping system from the lake to the
village, providing the residents
with easy access to fresh water.
In addition to carrying out these
activities, the team found time to
interact with the villagers and
engage in friendly games of
football, sepak takraw, congkak
and handball. The villagers were
also treated to cooking workshops
and musical performances.
We have always wanted to
carry out an integrated community
programme and we have achieved
this through the Temenggor-Belum
expedition.
We hope that this expedition
has helped strengthen this orang
asli community and that we left the
village and its residents with a
positive impact, says head of
regional office (northern region)
Ahmad Fauzi Mohd Akhir.

Fostering unity
Ramadan is a meaningful period
when the spirit of amal is
especially important to Bank Islam.
During the holy month this year,
the AMAL team decided to focus on
underprivileged students.
This is because these
schoolchildren are often neglected
as people generally give special
attention to orphans and senior
citizens at this time of the year.
Various activities were also
organised by AMAL, including
bubur lambuk distribution to toll

Bank Islam Regional Consumer Business (Southern) manager Ahdan Shariff

Muhammad hands a cash donation to Chang Jee Kee, whose 22-year-old son
Rafael Chang Lin Hoe has multiple disabilities, including blindness, Down
syndrome and autism, during Program Ibadah Korban in Malacca.

users on AKLEH highway in Kuala

Lumpur as well as taxi drivers at
natural gas vehicles gas stations
and the taxi stand in KL Sentral
just before the time of breaking
fast.
Ramadan this year saw 867
individuals and 37 institutions
(orphanages, NGOs, surau,
mosques, schools and more)
receiving zakat totalling more than
RM200,000.
Another of Bank Islams CR
initiatives, Program Ibadah
Korban, takes place during the first
four days of Aidil Adha, another
important event on the Islamic
calendar.
Every year, one village or town
from each of the five regions
across Malaysia is chosen as
venues for the programme.
Employees are encouraged to
contribute funds for the purchase
of cattle and they are allowed to
select the state to which they
intend to consign their portion.
Besides having the opportunity
to contribute foodstuff to
communities, the aim of this
programme is to foster unity and
camaraderie. It also gives us the
opportunity to celebrate and feast
with the villagers.
Various activities such as
telematches, colouring
competitions, futsal and Quran
reciting contests were organised
concurrently to keep the children
and teenagers entertained while
the adults work towards getting the
meat ready for distribution, says
chief syariah officer Mohd Nazri
Chik.

Making education fun

Bank Islams other CR projects
hold true to the belief that
education should be afforded to all
children.
For example, the bank recently
collaborated with Petrosains, the
science centre, to organise the Visit
to School Programme and the
Science Show Competition. As a
sponsor, Bank Islam contributed a
total of RM500,000 to these two
programmes.
The Visit to School Programme
involved 87 secondary schools
across the country where
workshops were carried out in
20 school locations.
The main objective of this
programme is to engage and
inspire students with
comprehensive hands-on activities
based on STEM (science,
technology, engineering and
mathematics) concepts.
The Petrosains Science Show
Competition, meanwhile, was open
to all secondary schools students in
Malaysia. Students presented
experiments to illustrate a
scientific theory, either in teams of
two or individually.
We believe this fun and exciting
approach to learning science is
very effective compared to the
traditional way of learning from a
book and in school laboratories,
says managing director Datuk Seri
Zukri Samat.
The grand finals of the
nationwide competition were held
on Oct 29 in Kuala Lumpur, where
SMK Tamparuli, Sabah, emerged

A volunteer doctor treats a child during Bank Islam staffs three-day visit to
Perkampungan Orang Asli Sungai Chiong in Temenggor-Belum, Perak, as part
of the AMAL Bank Islam-Salam Relief Temenggor-Belum Expedition.

Another AMAL initiative Projek

Bantuan Rumah (Housing Aid
Project), which has been ongoing
since 2008 has become more
relevant now with the sharp rise in
property prices in recent years.
This market trend, coupled with
the rise of homelessness,
exemplifies how tough it is for
those suffering from extreme
poverty to own a home, which is a
basic need of every human being.
Since the inception of this
project, 212 marginalised families
have been provided with
comfortable homes.
There are also added benefits to
this project, especially to local
businesses, as Bank Islam makes
sure that the contractors involved
in this project are local companies.
Early this year, Bank Islam
also contributed RM1.1mil to
Kelantan for building house and
rehabilitation as part of its Flood
Relief Programme. The money was
spent on the construction of 27
new houses and repairs to one
house.

Going forward
Every year during the monsoon
season, Bank Islam volunteers are
actively involved in flood-relief
activities in affected areas.
However, during the worse-thanexpected flood early this year,
priority in the distribution of basic
necessities such as rice, cooking oil,
biscuits, blankets, clothing, gas
stoves and rice cookers had to be
given to Bank Islam staff and their
families who were in dire straits.
Nonetheless, whatever items
left over were distributed to other
flood victims. During the
devastating floods last December
and January this year, our
volunteers stopped to help people
they encountered during the
course of their journey before
continuing on, says Zukri.
Last years floods were
especially damaging and we had to
close down 15 of our branches in
Kelantan and Terengganu as the
floods had affected more than 100
of our staff members.
Armed with basic necessities,
the AMAL team set out to the east
coast to provide assistance to our
colleagues who were affected by
this disaster, he explains.
For Bank Islam, CR initiatives
have always been more than just
donating funds to the needy. The
bank has always encouraged its
staff to roll up their sleeves and
engage wholeheartedly in all its
projects, with the belief that a lot
more can be achieved when staff
and community come together to
serve a common purpose.
AMAL will welcome donations
from the public and corporations
towards its CR activities in the near
future so that more people can get
involved and more can be done to
help those who are in need.

n For more information,

visit amal.bankislam.com.my

THE STAR, TUESDAY 15 DECEMBER 2015

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THE STAR, TUESDAY 15 DECEMBER 2015