Sunway Group has offered up to RM12mil will be allocated to cover the cost of subsidised treatments as the patients will be received at existing governmental rates (Photo: Sunway Medical Centre)
Many charitable organisations and volunteers were left struggling, especially after the government imposed a restriction on NGOs distributing food to the needy to prevent the further spread of Covid-19. The new directive has led to concerns over how food distribution will be carried out and whether it will reach the right people.
However, some local companies have stepped up to tackle the predicament by providing manpower and transport to ensure the underserved and unprivileged are not neglected. With Malaysia’s healthcare services now overloaded, it’s up to businesses large and small to fill the gaps and aid the community.
Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre
Contribution: Food aid
The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre stood with the community during these difficult times by feeding people in need, with its recent contribution over 340kgs of surplus food and fresh produce to the Food Aid Foundation during the Covid-19 outbreak. The latter rescues ‘halal’ edible but surplus food and groceries from manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers — all of which are redistributed to charitable and welfare homes, refugee community as well as soup kitchens.
AIA Malaysia
Contribution: Financial support for healthcare frontliners
Working together with Ministry of Health (MOH), AIA is offering hospital staff a one-time RM1,000 Inconvenience Allowance should they be diagnosed with Covid-19 while carrying out their duties. A Compassionate Relief of RM10,000 will be paid to their beneficiaries if the staff passes away in the line of duty during the pandemic. The financial support will be effective until June 30 or when the total fund of RM2 million is fully disbursed.
Coway Malaysia
Contribution: Hand sanitisers and masks for GrabFood customers
In line with the company’s vision to promote a healthy and happy life, Coway will be giving away 10,000 sets of ‘Stay Safe’ kits consisting of hand sanitisers and masks to GrabFood delivery customers of selected eatery outlets within greater Kuala Lumpur. Get the kits when you make purchases from Salad Atelier Care (in Sunway Pyramid, KL Eco City, Paradigm Mall, Intermark and The Weld) and MyBurgerLab (in Sunway, Seapark, Bangsar, OUG, Cyberjaya and MyTown, Cheras).
Supermax Corporation Berhad
Contribution: Medical gloves
To aid staff in government hospitals, police stations and healthcare’s first responders, Supermax — with logistical help from National Disaster Management Agency of Malaysia (Nadma) — is distributing 1 million medical gloves. Because medical gloves should only be used once, a large quantity of gloves need to be produced to prevent risk of infection. Previously, Supermax donated three million gloves to Wuhan — the epicentre of the pandemic’s outbreak — and helped sponsors delivered 8.9 million more to China.
Berjaya Corporation Berhad and I-Berhad
Contribution: Monetary aid
Berjaya Corporation Berhad chief executive officer, Datuk Seri Robin Tan Yeong Ching and I-Berhad chairman, Tan Sri Lim Kim Hong each contributed RM1 million to the government’s Covid-19 fund launched by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on March 11. Aimed at easing the burden faced by the pandemic, the fund will provide RM100 daily to those who have no fixed income or are not being paid throughout the duration of the quarantine period and treatment.
Axiata Group
Contribution: Financial assistance to SMEs
Axiata Group and its subsidiaries have launched a RM150mil Covid-19 programme to give immediate assistance to micro-SMEs who are facing financial difficulties due to the unprecedented coronavirus outbreak. Through Aspirasi, the group will offer shariah compliant micro-financing to benefit approximately 150,000 micro-SMEs within the Boost, Aspirasi and Celcom ecosystem as well as other e-commerce, e-wallet and FMCG partners. After online applications are approved, Micro-SMEs can receive funding from RM1,000 to RM10,000 in 48 hours.
Sunway Group
Contribution: Financial and medical support
Sunway Group has rolled out more than RM34mil to help Malaysians cope with the pandemic, and RM300,000 went into helping the B40 communities around Sunway townships nationwide through various NGOs, including Yayasan Kebajikan Negara, to offload the burden of those who are affected. Sunway Healthcare Group on the other hand will be taking in non-Covid-19 cases from public hospitals and set aside 100 beds across Sunway Medical Centre and Sunway Medical Centre Velocity to tend to patients. Up to RM12mil will be allocated to cover the cost of subsidising treatment for public patients from government and UMMC hospitals.
UDA Holdings Berhad
Contribution: Goods and equipment to hospitals
As part of its CSR initiatives, UDA has contributed goods, equipment and electronics worth more than RM100,000 to Sungai Buloh Hospital, which is currently developing additional wards for Covid-19 patients and is in the process of upgrading old wards and hostels. Among the items supplied include televisions, thermopots, mobile phones and sofa sets. UDA is also collaborating with telecommunications infrastructure services company edotco Malaysia to address connectivity issues at the hospital.
Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas)
Contribution: Medical equipment and supplies to frontliners
Petronas is collaborating with the Ministry of Health and the National Disaster Management Agency to contribute RM20mil worth of medical equipment and supplies, including ventilators, hospital beds and mattresses, thermal imaging cameras, digital thermometers, virus test kits and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), to healthcare frontliners in Malaysia as well as hand sanitisers to senior citizens at selected homes. The oil and gas company will also be distributing cartons of mineral water to several medical centres.
Malayan Banking Berhad (Maybank)
Contribution: Financial support to Mercy Malaysia
RM4mil in immediate cash has been donated to Mercy Malaysia’s Covid-19 Pandemic Fund to ensure medical doctors, nurses, health personnel and healthcare workers and volunteers have sufficient supply of protective gear. The contribution will also be used for the construction of 500 handwashing stations for marginalised communities, the production and distribution of 30,000 informative and educational material packs as well as pandemic risk reduction training for 10,000 families.
