Dato’ Sri Shahrizat Announces Prime Minister’s Corporate Social Responsibility Awards 2009; Companies urged to submit entries
Kuala Lumpur, June 26, 2009 – Malaysian companies that promote community development through their corporate social responsibility programmes are urged to submit entries to the prestigious Prime Minister’s CSR Awards. Announcing the Awards, Minister of Women, Family and Community Development YB Dato’ Sri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil said efforts by the private sector that complement the government’s initiatives to bring development and its benefits to all of Malaysia deserve to be recognised.
“Our own experience in Malaysia, and indeed the experience of countries worldwide, is that development is more effective and takes place at a faster rate when the private sector and non-governmental organisations work with the government to address issues faced at the grassroots and in marginalised communities,” said Dato’ Sri Shahrizat.
“The government on its own can achieve so much. With a multi-stakeholder approach, you will reap better, faster and more wide-ranging results. The Prime Minister’s CSR Awards seeks to promote better business, better communities, better lives and a better nation.”
She was speaking to reporters at her Ministry this afternoon to announce the Prime Minister’s Corporate Social Responsibility Awards 2009. The Awards were first run in 2007, when more than 160 companies submitted entries for a total of 316 different projects. This is the second time the Awards are being held.
In 2007, there were six main categories – Community & Social Welfare, Culture & Heritage, Education, Environment, Small Company CSR, and Best Workplace Practices – plus a special category for Media Reporting. The most outstanding CSR initiative from these seven categories was awarded the prestigious Anugerah CSR Perdana Menteri.
“This year, we’re introducing a new category to the Awards. This is a category specifically for initiatives targeted at women. It’s been proven that when you empower women from marginalised or disenfranchised communities, you empower her entire community. In other words, the return on investment from women is high,” said Dato’ Sri Shahrizat.
She added that while women of Malaysia have achieved a great deal over the years, “we cannot deny that there remains much to be done. Women still put their families first and neglect their own health; they often give up their careers because the environment in the workplace does not cater for their complex needs. Companies can do a lot to improve the status quo.”
The Ministry has put together a panel of highly respected public and professional figures to judge the entries. Representing governmental, non-governmental and corporate bodies, the judges have very good ground-level knowledge of Malaysian communities that are in need of attention so as to be brought to a level playing field with mainstream society. In assessing a submission, they will be driven primarily by three factors:
• The positive impact the CSR initiative has on the community/communities at which it is targeted;
• The sustainability of the project; and
• The level of commitment and involvement displayed by the companies (management and staff) in these projects.
Winners will receive their awards at a presentation ceremony to be held in November 2009. The deadline for submissions is August 31, 2009.
“We would like to embed a sense of responsibility for the community into the day-to-day business practice of every company, big or small,” said Dato’ Sri Shahrizat.
To download an entry form and for more information on the Prime Minister’s CSR Awards, please go to the official website at www.anugerahcsrmalaysia.org. Alternatively, you can call the Secretariat at 03-7954 7030 / 7031.
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.
