Leading property development and investment company Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad (MRCB) in 2008 focused its CSR initiatives on a living cultural heritage – art – but with an environmental twist.The company decided to use art to promote a love for the environment.
Hence it ran an art competition themed Our Environment, Our Future. MRCB felt a need to spur Malaysian artists who are talented but hampered by a lack of proper channels to expose their inherent skills. To uncover as many hidden talents as possible, it designed its art competition to be inclusive, and two special categories were opened to Malaysians with disability (one for physical and one for mental disabilities). MRCB felt that including this community would help empower them, by encouraging those with artistic abilities to pursue their talent and perhaps even earn an income from it. There were two other categories for different student age groups; and one open category.
The MRCB Art Awards 2008 was launched on July 17, 2008, The deadline for submission was November 1, 2008.
A total of 794 artworks were submitted – 539 from students, 195 from the open category and 60 from artists with disabilities – and are now being sold to raise funds for charity. To increase the sum raised, and to raise the profile of the Awards, MRCB also approached professional artists to donate artworks to be sold. Eleven artists responded, donating a total of 36 paintings. All proceeds from sales of this competition and donations have been channeled into a newly set up MRCB Foundation, which will then sponsor charities as it sees fit.
MRCB itself has bought some of the art pieces, which it presents as corporate gifts, thus increasing further awareness of local talents among a wider audience.
Because MRCB did not have any experience in organising an art competition, a strategic partnership was struck with Balai Seni Lukis Negara as advisor; with Maybank to handle the funds; and the Ministry of Education as a partner in bringing in the participation of schools. TV3, 8TV and the NSTP Group, namely the New Straits Times, Berita Harian and Harian Metro, came in as media partners to publicise the event. MRCB also obtained the help of well-known artist, Ahmad Fuad Osman, who acted as the awards ambassador and was one of the preliminary judges.
Of the 794 entries, 173 art works were shortlisted. However, the judges observed that only a handful of artists had actually mastered a high level of artistic techniques, hence there is much scope for nurturing and developing the artistic abilities of Malaysians. Encouragingly, most of the entries were from youth, who could be encouraged to continue pursuing their interest in art, for their own personal satisfaction and the betterment of cultural life in Malaysia.
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.
