Page 12 - Berita Sunway - Issue 74

In Malaysia since March 2020, over 30,000 lives have been Doing we
On the Cover G d LEADING BY EXAMPLE

For Sunway, the culture of giving back to society
stems from the Group’s founder and chairman Tan Sri
social responsibility (CSR) efforts despite the challenges by doing Dato’ Seri Dr. Jeffrey Cheah.
I
t is the year 2022, almost two years since the COVID-19
pandemic disrupted the lives of millions around the world.
In 2007, Cheah established the Jeffrey Cheah
Foundation (JCF) and in 2010, he transferred his
lost, more than 2.7 million infected, and more than 140,000
equity in the Sunway Education Group worth several
individuals unemployed as of December 2021.
billion Ringgit in perpetuity to JCF.
With diversified business interests such as construction,

To date, more than RM570
hospitality, retail and property development, Sunway’s
businesses were not spared from the pandemic’s impact.
million worth of scholarships

However, Sunway did not waver from helping others in
their time of need, continuing its #SunwayforGood corporate
to Malaysians, regardless of
posed by the pandemic. [See page 12 for Sunway’s pandemic and grants have been awarded
relief efforts] race and religion.
is is in line with Sunway’s firm belief that no corporation
can survive – or thrive – unless it is connected to the community
it serves. CREATING A CULTURE When Razman highlighted SK Convent Klang’s
Sunway’s CSR efforts demonstrate its commitment towards OF VOLUNTEERISM plight of needing RM200,000 for repair works to
advancing the 17 United Nations’ Sustainable Development Volunteer-driven CSR initiatives Cheah, the latter agreed to help without hesitating.
Goals (UN-SDGs), as the Group aims to build a sustainable and have helped create a culture Sunway contributed more than RM1 million to help
inclusive future for all. of volunteerism in Sunway by with the school’s restoration work.
anks to Sunway’s CSR efforts, more than 500,000 providing a platform to mobilise “We are very fortunate that we never had to beg
beneficiaries have been impacted from 2015 to 2020, with the those who want to help but were because our chairman feels CSR is important. CSR
aim of touching a few million lives by 2030. unsure of how to. starts from the top, and when people see it for
“To quote our chairman, we can do well by doing good. It Today, around 90% of Sunway’s themselves, they too want to take part,” Razman said.
is part of our DNA. We focus our efforts on three areas – employees have registered as CSR Sunway has even inspired other companies to
community enrichment, education, and healthcare – but not volunteers, with volunteer registration emulate its CSR efforts.
exclusively. Where we can help, we will try,” said Sunway’s drives typically filled up within a day Razman, who is a member of the Raja Tun Uda
deputy executive chairman Tan Sri Datuk Seri Razman M. or two. Library’s Board of Trustees, said that the library will
Hashim, who oversees Sunway’s CSR efforts. In 2020 alone, Sunwayians implement autism-friendly features learned from
clocked up close to 20,000 hours of Sunway Putra Mall’s Autsome initiative to better
volunteering. support parents with autistic children.
“Over the last 15 to 20 years, Similarly, he hopes Sunway’s #zerofoodwastage
FROM HANDOUTS TO HANDS ON we have been very fortunate that initiative with Kechara Soup Kitchen will inspire other
e Sunway of today may be synonymous with CSR, but this was when we started getting more hotels and supermarkets to address food security.
not always the case. involved in CSR, we have never “Whether other companies do CSR or not, that is
“When we were starting out, CSR was not quite the focus. We were been short of volunteers. ey don’t not for us to say – it must come from their own
busy building up the business, so we took the easy way out – we never care what festive occasion they conscience. e question I would ask is – why should
forgot about CSR, but we just did donations here and there,” said volunteer at. is is the spirit that they not think about doing CSR? It is for the good of
Razman, a former banker who has been with Sunway for more than two we have at Sunway,” Razman humanity at the end of the day,” he said.
decades. said. Razman recalls an incident from his
As the company became more successful, the management For Sunwayians such early career as a banker that continues
strengthened its CSR team internally and sought to do more than just as Sunway Hotel to stir his heart towards CSR until
Cheong Ka Mei
present donation cheques – they wanted to get on the ground. Georgetown marketing this day.
“Now, we don’t just donate to a disaster relief fund, but are more Cheong Ka Mei and communications “I had invited about 100 students
connected with the people. Having trudged through some rural areas for manager Cheong Ka Mei, to my home to have a McDonald’s
CSR, only then do we realise how fortunate we are to live where lights volunteering for Sunway’s meal. I remember one young boy
can be turned on with a switch, and water comes from a tap,” he said. CSR initiatives is the highlight of her job. who had eaten half of his burger and
Volunteering on-the-ground allows Sunwayians to experience the Starting out with the Rise Against Hunger event at Sunway Hotel Seberang Jaya in kept the other half in a paper bag.
hardships of those in need, and in doing so, drives them to do more 2017, Cheong went on to volunteer in various ways – from distributing bubur lambuk When asked why he was keeping the burger,
for CSR. Designed to be executed in phases over three years, Sunway SILK during Ramadhan, to donating shower caps to Hospital Seberang Jaya at the height of the it was for his other siblings at the home to try, as they
“During the Raya Cheer iftar barakah grocery donation drive, some started with a pilot project and culminates with the formation of a social pandemic in 2020. had never eaten a burger before. Situations like this
of our volunteers cried when they saw how poor the people living on the enterprise. [See page 20 for more on Sunway SILK] Her most memorable volunteering moment is seeing the smiles of the children at really make you realise just how fortunate you are, and
outskirts of Hulu Langat were. ey never realised there were so many ere is now more accountability in Sunway’s CSR efforts, with due Sunway’s Raya Cheer and Back-to-School CSR events. makes you want to do CSR,” said Razman.
poor Malaysians, so much so that they started donating money out of diligence done for potential partnerships and initiatives to ensure “A simple act means a lot. We cannot be helping everyone, but even a small act impacts
their own pockets,” said Sunway Group’s general manager of CSR, donations are tracked and utilised wisely on the right causes. lives,” she said. “If the company is doing well, why not do good?
internal branding and events, Bernard Paul. “In the past, we would not know what the money is used for once it Sunway’s CSR events not only attracts volunteers from within – it piques the interest of If we are fortunate in this world, we should be
Sunway’s CSR journey has also shifted towards more sustainable, is handed over but now it is easy with online systems and records in external stakeholders too. thankful and think about what we can do for
long-term CSR projects, such as the Sunway Seeding Inspiration and place, more NGOs to partner with and the ability to do due diligence Staff from Menara Sunway Annexe’s tenants Merck Malaysia joined Sunway volunteers the less fortunate.”
Leadership via Knowledge (Sunway SILK) urban farming project. online,” said Bernard. to help with food distribution during Raya Cheer 2018, after learning of the CSR event via Tan Sri Datuk Seri Razman M. Hashim
event posters in the lifts of the building. Executive deputy chairman of Sunway Group
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