19  November 2010  - 19:03
Maybank Organises Simultaneous Global CSR Day Project

More than 10,000 Maybank Group employees globally will join together for the first time in a global CSR initiative through the Group employee volunteerism programme under the Cahaya Kasih banner tomorrow, Saturday November 20, 2010. This programme which is part of Maybank’s 50th anniversary celebration themed ‘Close to You’, creates a milestone for a Malaysian financial institution as the first to organise such an event in Malaysia across its global network.

The Group-wide CSR programme will involve its international operations in Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Brunei, Cambodia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Bahrain, London, New York and Papua New Guinea.

“It is a momentous occasion for us and a noble opportunity for each and every Maybanker to engage in community outreach in every location where Maybank operates,” said Dato’ Sri Abdul Wahid Omar, President & CEO Maybank.

“This one day reaffirms our commitment to be close to communities. It is also our employees’ strong call to action in living up to our mission to humanise financial services across Asia. In preparation for this, Maybankers have contributed their own funds as well as organised various fund raising activities for their respective projects,” added Dato’ Sri Abdul Wahid Omar.

The activities will focus on five key areas of Maybank’s CSR efforts, namely education, welfare, sports, environment and health & medical needs. Board Members and senior management of Maybank will also be participating in the programme.

Among the activities undertaken by offices in Malaysia include visiting orphanages, refugee centres as well as welfare and old folk homes bringing cheer to the needy and the underprivileged. There will be other groups involved in planting trees, donating blood and visiting the sick in hospitals and pediatric centres. Yet others will undertake cleaning up the beach and various recycling projects.

Internationally, the Group’s overseas operations are undertaking similar activities. Maybank Singapore employees will plant 100 trees in MacRitchie Forest to mark Maybank’s 50 years of operations in the Republic. In Indonesia, the Group employees will plant over 400 trees in West Java and Taman Nasional Gunung Pangrango as well as make donations to victims of the recent tsunami and Mount Merapi. Maybank Syariah Indonesia will pay for the education expenses of five top students of a rural school. In the Philippines, Maybankers will visit the CHIME Children’s Medical Mission while Maybank Bahrain will hold a blood donation drive. Maybankers in China and Hong Kong are holding environment awareness programmes for children and undertake cleaning Ting Kau Beach respectively.

Oxfam charity shops will be recipient of donations from Maybank employees in London while Maybank New York will be donating non-perishable goods to the needy through the St Bartholomew’s Church. In Vietnam, Maybank employees are visiting homes for orphans, the handicapped and senior citizens to donate clothes, books and reading materials. Maybank Papua New Guinea is purchasing two wheel chairs for the General Hospital of Port Moresby, while in Cambodia, Maybank will donate recycle bins and join forces with two million Cambodians in a clean up activity on the Tonle Sap/Mekong River.

“We are able to mobilise our entire Group employees as we adhere strongly to our CSR philosophy of ‘Growing with Responsibility’. There is also a strong spirit of volunteerism among Maybankers built through our involvement in the community where we have reached out time and again to help the underprivileged as well as those affected by natural disasters,” said Dato’ Sri Abdul Wahid.

“It will be a day to remember and is especially significant as we celebrate our 50th anniversary as Malaysia’s regional financial services leader. I believe our global CSR day programme will create an impact and touch the lives of the community in one way or another, just as we have done over the last 50 years,” he added.