Nice to know caring ’still part of Malaysian life’

PM's CSR Awards, Press Articles — By csr on November 20, 2007 at 4:59 am

By Nisha Sabanayagam

NST, 15 November 2007

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians, including those in the corporate sector, have been exhibiting their caring attitude towards others in many ways, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said.Photo (right): Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (centre) with the winners of the Prime Minister’s CSR Awards yesterday. On the prime minister’s left is Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, whose ministry had launched the award. — NST picture by Ghazali Bujang

“We are masyarakat penyayang (a caring community) and the corporate sector demonstrates this through its corporate social responsibility (CSR) agenda,” he said at the inaugural Prime Minister’s CSR Awards ceremony at the Sime Darby Convention Centre here yesterday.

“I hope the companies which have done well in CSR will continue their efforts in other ways as what I would like most is for more people to know that we have this culture of caring.”

The Prime Minister’s CSR Award, launched by the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry, is aimed at recognising companies that have made a difference in the community through their CSR programmes.

Abdullah said Malaysians were happy and enjoyed a good quality of life because of their caring attitude.
“Those who need help know that they will get help. The sick and the poor will also be helped.”

Abdullah advised the corporate sector to hire the handicapped as part of their CSR responsibility.

“The handicapped should be given a job as long as they can do something.”

He cited former TV3 newscaster Ras Adiba Razdi as an example of a handicapped person who was capable but who still faced difficulties landing a job.

Abdullah said anyone with a minor handicap could still perform with the proper training.

The prime minister was happy that more than 300 companies had vied for the CSR awards.

A total of 316 CSR projects were submitted in six categories with a special category for media reporting.

The overall winner of the Prime Minister’s CSR Award was DiGi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd which also bagged the top prize in the best workplace practice and culture and heritage categories.

Other winners were Petronas (education), British Petroleum in Malaysia (environment), Intel Technology Sdn Bhd (community and social welfare) and Masterskill College of Nursing and Health (small company CSR).

The New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd and TV3 (news and current affairs) each received an award in the media reporting category.

The NSTP submitted a body of work on CSR in Malaysia by Sunday People, the lifestyle pullout of the New Sunday Times.

Submissions were judged on the positive impact the CSR initiative had on targeted communities, the sustainability of the project and the level of commitment and involvement displayed by companies in their projects.

The Prime Minister’s CSR Awards, launched by the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development in 2007, aims to recognise companies that have made a difference to the communities in which they operate through their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes. Download the Official Entry Form.