THROUGH its #SunwayforGood corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, Sunway Group has reached out to more than 200,000 lives throughout the nation during this pandemic year.
Their initiatives are mustered under the #SunwayforGood umbrella and are mainly focused on the B40 communities who have lost their source of income due to pandemic-related circumstances.
#SunwayforGood's focus has turned to food security in light of COVID-19 and the subsequent movement control order (MCO).
ART OF GIVING
In December, through the #SunwayforGood fund, Sunway Group gave out AEON vouchers worth RM50 each, to more than 2,000 beneficiaries in Bandar Sunway and B40 students of Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Bandar Sunway, one of the schools adopted by Sunway.
Sunway also sponsored a logistics service using a Sunway Resort Hotel truck to transport some 250kg of groceries from the Food Aid Foundation to Persatuan Insaf Murni in Kajang, aiding 20 families living with HIV as well.
Earlier in the year, as part of its Hari Raya Aidilfitri initiative during the MCO, they delivered thousands of packets of "bubur lambuk" to frontline workers, essential service staff and B40 families nationwide.
The #SunwayforGood Deepavali Cheer initiative was also introduced, providing food aid to a total of 10,155 beneficiaries in the Klang Valley, Perak and Johor in conjunction with the Festival of Lights.
Additionally, Sunway partnered with FFM Berhad who had donated more than 5,000 kg of food products worth RM80,000.
Furthermore, Sunway staff, through the #SunwayforGood Fund, have channelled close to RM130,000 to foot electricity bills, up to six months, for 16 charity homes nationwide. This is in response to charity homes hit hard by the movement control order (MCO).
HELP FOR ALL
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sunway Group also announced an aid package totalling more than RM34 million that was targeted to support at least 40,000 beneficiaries. The Group also contributed RM1 million to the Government's COVID-19 Fund for Malaysians.
"Sunway's healthcare division covered the cost of subsidising treatments for public patients from the Ministry of Health of Malaysia and University Malaya Medical Centre. We also allowed rent-free days for non-essential retailers at all Sunway malls.
On the other hand, Sunway Resorts & Hotels also donated 1,500 repurposed soap bars to a correctional facility, Pusat Koreksional Puncak Alam in Kajang for hundreds of juvenile inmates for personal hygiene purpose during the Movement Control Order (MCO)," said Sunway Group General Manager, CSR, Internal Branding and Events Bernard Paul in an interview with CSR Malaysia.
He continued, "Over 25,000 hygiene and personal protective equipment such as blankets, shower gel, shampoo, dental kits, small pillows and kitchen gloves were also donated to Hospital Sungai Buloh in Selangor and Hospital Seberang Jaya in Penang.
Meanwhile, in the southern region, the property team contributed items such as infrared electronic thermometres, face masks and hand sanitisers to hundreds of frontline healthcare staff as well as essential and critical service workers at hospitals such as Hospital Sultanah Aminah and Iskandar Puteri Police Station."
CHARTING BRIGHTER FUTURES
In an interview with CSR Malaysia, Bernard Paul, Sunway Group General Manager, CSR, Internal Branding and Events said, "#SunwayforGood is our pledge that Sunway will continue to work to improve lives and livelihoods at the grassroots level. We champion Corporate Responsibility through three areas, namely education, healthcare, and community enrichment, aligned with our commitment to the 17 SDGs."
Bernard also stated that Sunway Group collaborates closely with the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation and the Sunway Education Group to ensure that the efforts of all three entities deliver maximum impact.
This arrangement allows Sunway Group to focus its efforts under #SunwayforGood on local communities, while the Foundation and the education arm operate at national and international levels.
Ultimately, Sunway Group believes in giving a hand up instead of a hand out by educating the needy with skills needed to raise their standard of living.
HEART OF LIVING
"It has certainly changed our mindsets – from the art of living to the heart of living and giving," said Sunway Group deputy executive chairman Tan Sri Razman M. Hashim, who led the #SunwayforGood initiatives.
"We have the power to make a difference and be the light to someone's life. Through our initiatives, we have impacted more than 200,000 lives and contributed more than RM34 million to aid those in need.
"Furthermore, we have also surpassed our target of collecting 40,000 kilogrammes of food through the #SunwayforGood Food Bank programme, and have reached more than 53,000 kilogrammes as of December.
"We aspire to bring hope to the underserved communities."
Razman shared that Sunway's ultimate goal is to look into the long-term impact of uplifting the B40 communities and help them break free from poverty.
"Sunway acknowledges that it is not the government's responsibility alone to realise the UN 17 SDGs," echoing Tan Sri Dr Jeffrey Cheah, Sunway Group founder and chairman.
"It requires the commitment and shared efforts of all strata of society – the private sector, academia, civil society and every single individual. We are all in this together."
Sunway has produced a video highlighting the Group's progress and achievements in helping B40 communities, aptly titled, "This is the Sun-Way", to help complement the efforts of #SunwayforGood.