KUALA LUMPUR: Government-linked companies (GLCs) and government-linked investment companies (GLICs), have pooled RM40 million to help the Health Ministry in responding to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The GLCs and GLICs, through their Disaster Response Network (GDRN), are working and coordinating with various partners to streamline support to the ministry.
The GDRN is managed by a joint secretariat led by Yayasan Hasanah (YH), a foundation of Khazanah Nasional Bhd and Telekom Malaysia Bhd.
“The collective early contributions stand at RM40 million from several GLCs, GLICs and private sector entities to support the various humanitarian and medical related initiatives,” YH and the secretariat said in a statement today.
”Of the RM40 million, RM17 million has been pledged directly to the GDRN to support MoH to purchase medical supplies, PPEs and ventilators,” it added.
The companies pledging to GDRN towards MoH support are Affin Bank Bhd, CIMB Bank Bhd, Kumpulan Wang Persaraan, Permodalan Nasional Bhd, Sime Darby Property Bhd, Pharmaniaga Bhd, Tenaga Nasional Bhd, TM, TIME dotcom Bhd, YH, Yayasan Sime Darby and Yayasan UEM.
YH managing director Shahira Ahmed Bazari said the RM17 million allocation would be focused on the provisions of medical supplies which includes Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) and ventilators to meet the needs of MoH and all public as well as institutional hospitals.
The coordination and implementation of procurement, handling, warehousing and distribution will be done through Pharmaniaga.
“We strongly feel that our support should be better coordinated to avoid duplication of efforts and redundancy of supplies.
“We hope that this platform will enable a more streamlined approach to assist MoH and the nation during this difficult time.
"Currently Yayasan Hasanah is coordinating the efforts with GLCs and GLICs under the banner of the GDRN and welcome all private sector to also extend their support towards this joint efforts", she added.
Seberal GDRN members had previously implemented several relief support totalling RM23 million.
This included distribution of food supplies, hygiene kits and medical equipment to hospitals including Pusat Kesihatan Daerah, universities which are still housing students on campus and to the Surveillance Centre that is being managed by the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA).
Several GDRN members have also mobilised their volunteers.
“GDRN’s commitment to support the fight against Covid-19 will continue beyond the Movement Control Order period as it plans to assist vulnerable and B40 communities who have been impacted by Covid-19 in the longer term.
“This is in line with the purpose of the GDRN’s formation, which is to ensure holistic response in the short, medium and long term in times of disasters as witnessed by its support across the country between 2013 and 2019,” YH and the secretariat said.
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