PB corporate JULY 20, 2020 MALAYSIA JULY 20, 2020 corporate 53

Reaching out in time of need

“They are not beggars and they are with. She checks on all recipients and not proud to line up to collect food. knows many of them by name or by sight. The alternative is to steal to feed Once she finds anyone taking advantage their families — like the guy who of the scheme, she crosses their name off stole baby formula milk and got the register. jailed; or the guy who stole petai In our case, my colleagues and I also and got jailed.” visit recipients — whether it is recipients — Datuk Seri Kalimullah Hassan of our educational charity or food aid pro- on why the ECM Libra Foundation gramme — to see for ourselves. Over the embarked on a RM3 million food aid years, we have been to the interiors of programme to help the vulnerable Sabah and Sarawak as well as Orang Asli who lost their income because of the settlements deep in plantations in , Covid-19 pandemic and . In almost every one of these cases, we find that peo- he following are excerpts of an in- ple are generally not proud to depend on terview with Datuk Seri Kalimul- handouts. Of course, there are exceptions, lah Hassan, ECM Libra Foundation but it is a very small number. chairman, about the work of the Similarly, there are many generous organisation. people in Malaysia — both among the TThe Edge: What prompted the foun- wealthy and the middle- and lower-mid- dation, which usually focuses on ed- Batu Kawan Bhd; Datuk Yeoh Sock Hong dle classes — who opened their hearts ucation, to initiate this food aid pro- of YTL Power Bhd; Tan Thiam Hock, the and wallets during the MCO to help the gramme? founder of cosmetic line Silkygirl; Datuk needy. You will be surprised that the poor Datuk Seri Kalimullah Hassan: Early Kelvin Tan of TSH Resources Bhd; restau- themselves are very generous. They are this year, when looking at funding edu- rant chain Kampong Kravers (M) Sdn Bhd; not stingy when it comes to helping those cational programmes for the Orang Asli ECM Libra Foundation Trustee Lim Beng even poorer than they are. But if you want in Bandar Muadzzam Shah in Rompin, we Choon; entrepreneur Ralph Marshall; to be judgmental about helping poor peo- came across a settlement of families living The Edge Media Group chairman Datuk ple, then we must also acknowledge that off a rubbish dump, collecting recyclable Tong Kooi Ong and Lendlease chairman there are also among the well-to-do who rubbish, which was sold to contractors Dinesh Nambiar. talk a good talk but don’t lift a finger to from . We noticed that the The response has been amazing, not help … So, yes, there will be people taking children looked undernourished. only from my friends, but also organisa- Tony Fernandes distributing food packets to the advantage, as we have all kinds, but, no, I During the MCO (Movement Control tions such as KPMG, which offered to audit needy at The Chow Kit hotel don’t think this programme will create a Order), we received urgent appeals for the programme pro bono, as did law firm dependency culture. help for some of these communities, as CCA Law and former Bar Council pres- the rubbish dump had been shut down ident Ragunath Kesavan, who oversees quaintances of our programme. But you Most people are sceptical that the ‘Bat- and the Orang Asli had lost their source of the funds disbursement. However, I have should visit these people. There is no pride tle of the Bulge’ squash match between income and had no food to eat. The MCO since decided that the ECM Libra Foun- for them to receive food like that. A couple the two heavyweight Tan Sris — Tony made it difficult for us to reach them, so dation will fund the whole programme of months ago, in one of our food distribu- Fernandes and Salim Fateh Din — will we transferred funds to an NGO and they ourselves for a minimum of six months tion programmes at The Chow Kit hotel, take place. Have a date and venue been bought and distributed food to them. We and we will not be asking the pledgers or which prepares the food for us, I ran into fixed? had many appeals for help, including to potential pledgers to donate. AirAsia’s Tan Sri Tony Fernandes having Haha … I have been asked that question source and supply PPE (personal protec- I have shared the list of NGOs that work a meeting in the lobby lounge. I asked by many people who know both Tony and tive equipment), ventilators, face masks with the marginalised groups with my him to distribute the food packets to the Salim. The two of them have known each and sanitisers. We had no capacity for friends who have generously offered to couple of hundred people who were lining other for a long time but, whenever they that and we were glad that The Edge start- donate. If they so wish, they can fund com- up outside the hotel — thinking it would are together, they trade barbs. So, many ed its Covid-19 Fund, to which we could munities and groups of their own choice. be a nice touch to get a celebrity to meet people thought that this match would not contribute to ensure the front-liners and them. I was watching them, to see wheth- happen and many still think that. hospitals received these equipment. Apart How many people can be fed and over er they reacted to Tony, one of Malaysia’s I have known both Tony and Salim for from that, given the problems faced by how long with the RM3 million? And most recognisable faces, giving away food. many years. One thing these two share in the Orang Asli, we decided to fund food where? They all shifted their eyes downwards and common is that they have a passion for aid programmes, especially in the area Currently, we have 1,427 families of at least did not look any one of us in the eye. These charity. From the day former head hon- we were locked down in — Kuala Lumpur. four persons a family and 640 individuals, are working people — whether they are cho of Astro and Maxis, Ralph Marshall, As it turned out, we found there were mainly single mothers, urban poor and labourers, construction workers, odd-job proposed the match to raise funds for the thousands of urban poor who had lost their vulnerable individuals, on our list of re- workers, washerwomen. They all lost the food aid programme, both of them agreed jobs. They were skipping meals and there cipients. We will be adding to that list. We meagre incomes they earned before the to and have consistently said they would are many documented cases of parents have been providing cooked food for the 640 pandemic. They are not beggars and they have the match. Tony is younger and an stealing, pawning their jewellery, selling individuals since the MCO was enforced are not proud to line up to collect food. The all-round sportsman but Salim, though al- their cars and motorcycles, just to feed in March. The families are part of the Food alternative is to steal to feed their fami- most a decade older, is the far better squash their families. We then decided to expand Aid programme launched last week. Most lies — like the guy who stole baby formula player. And both are very competitive. It our programme after the MCO was lifted. of them have already received their first milk and got jailed; or the guy who stole will be an interesting match. We envisage the programme can be sus- monthly ration, which they collect from petai and got jailed. They are not beggars. Astro offered to broadcast the match tained for six to 12 months, after which, hypermarkets such as Dairy Farm’s Giant, Earlier this week, I went with an NGO and its executive, Vincent de Paul, him- when the economy recovers, most of these which has an extensive peninsula-wide to deliver food at a block of flats built for self a squash player, has been in contact vulnerable groups would be able to get on branch network, and other hypermarts the hardcore poor on the outskirts of Da- with Salim to organise the game. We plan their feet again and we can wind down in areas in which Giant does not have a mansara. One of the recipients was a blind to have the game in August or September, the programme. presence. The recipients are located in masseuse operating from the Malaysian when spectators are allowed. As you are various parts of the country, in particu- Association of the Blind building in Brick- aware, it was only a couple of weeks ago The foundation has committed RM1 lar the semi-urban and rural areas. But fields. He had three children and had lost that the restriction on contact sports was million and pledged up to another RM1 the majority of them are the urban poor, his income during the MCO. He thanked lifted. Salim has proposed that the game million to match amounts raised from living in the Klang Valley. us profusely. When I told him we would be held at Nu Sentral, which was devel- friends and associates. How much has continue to provide food for him for at oped by MRCB, of which he was the CEO. been raised so far from them? There is a view that by providing food least six months, his reply was, ‘I hope I Vincent de Paul is proposing the Bukit We have received confirmed pledges of on the streets, it will actually encour- can go back to work sooner so you won’t Jalil Stadium. more than RM800,000 in less than a week age more people to become dependent have to,’ and he said a prayer for me. I believe the match will be held. If there of the launch. Our friends have big hearts. instead of going to get jobs, even part- Further, the NGOs check the back- was a doubt, by publishing these com- Some others have inquired and are in the time ones. In short, this will promote ground of all recipients. They actually ments, I think we have left them with process of getting approvals from their a dependency culture. What is your visit these families and have a registry. little avenue to wriggle out. Any monies respective committees. response to this? Like Datuk Munirah Hamid, who runs the raised by Tony and Salim from the match The friends who have pledged include Yes, I have heard those views expressed Pertiwi Soup Kitchen. That is one fierce will be donated to a food charity of their Tan Sri Lee Oi Hean of KL Kepong Bhd and when I have told some friends and ac- woman you don’t want to cross swords choosing.