Walking the Talk on Sustainability
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2 CSR THE STAR, TUESDAY 18 DECEMBER 2018 Walking the talk on sustainability SINCE aligning itself with the 17 Raising the new generation United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs), Based on Dr Cheah's firm Sunway has been a strong convictions, it is only natural for advocate of the cause, much of Sun way's operational implementing supportive steps focus to be deeply rooted in across all its projects in Malaysia. Goal4 of the UNSDGs- quality Sun way Group founder and education- through the Jeffrey chairman Tan Sri Dr Jeffrey Cheah Cheah Foundation (JCF). recognises the hardship that Sunway is committed to comes with the lack of quality ensuring inclusive, equitable and education and hazards that quality education, as well as present themselves when the promoting lifelong learning environment is not cared for. opportunities for all, particularly He shared his views at a UBS among those in need. conference in Singapore in May, Since 2005, Sun way has saying, "My views on sustainability disbursed more than RM400mil in were shaped by my formative the form of scholarships and grants years growing up in Pusing - a through the JCF, which is owned small town in Perak. I witnessed at and governed by a distinguished first hand the impact of poverty on board of trustees, with Sultan families and how it closed off Sharafuddin Idris Shah of Selangor avenues for advancement, as its royal patron. particularly in education, for "I have always believed that Women, Family and Community Development deputy minister Hannah Yeah (eighth from left) and Tan Sri Dr Jeffrey them. education should never be a for Cheah (ninth from left) with the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation (JCF) board of trustees and students who received "Pusing was largely a tin mining profit business. As soon as I was scholarship awards at the JCF Scholarships and Awards ceremony 2018. town. You could not fail to notice able to, we established the JCF, to the ugly scars on the landscape left which I gifted all my equity in schools in Perak. by disused mining pools. Poverty perpetuity to Sunway's educational Sunway has since provided and environmental degeneration institutions. The gift was valued school supplies for 600 students of are not abstract concepts to at RM720mil then, and the value SK Puchong Perdana and 157 me, but part of my personal has since grown to more than students of Sekolah Bimbingan experience. They helped form my RM1bil. Jalinan Kasih. conviction that education provided "Thousands of deserving the optimum route out of poverty students have benefited from this Management with a global and we need to help heal a initiative. It is my personal goal to bleeding Mother Earth. award more than RM1bil in my mind "In short, without recognising it, lifetime," says Dr Cheah. the concept of sustainable Besides monetary aid, Sunway development was inculcated in Giving the youth a boost carries out other efforts to provide me. When the time came, these quality education to people from formative childhood memories Sunway recognises the all academic backgrounds. guided me in my entrepreneurial importance of receiving quality JCF owns and governs all 16 of career and philanthropic education from a young age. Last Sunway's educational institutions (From left) Tan Sri Dr Jeffrey Cheah, Energy, Science, Technology, Climate endeavours." month, it launched its back-to and entities such as Sunway Change and Environment Minister Yeo Bee Yin, and Prof Jeffrey Sachs He is determined to better the school programme, aimed at University, Jeffrey Cheah School of launching the Master in Sustainable Development Management programme. quality of life in Malaysia by helping more than 3,700 Medicine and Health Sciences at realising UNSDGs under the underserved students across Monash University Malaysia, Education Group has partnered Sustainable Development (JSC) at Sunway name. the nation. Sunway College and Sunway with Harvard University, Sunway University advances As a matter of fact, all of These beneficiaries are students International School. It is currently University of California, Berkeley Sunway's goals to realise UNSDGs Sunway's public-listed companies who are from B40 families, at risk, Malaysia's largest education (UC Berkeley), University of by promoting green development are listed on the FTSE4Good Bursa stateless or from orphanages. The focused social enterprise. Cambridge and University of and social progress through Malaysia Index for demonstrating students come from 11 schools in To further fulfil its aim of Oxford, and soon, Massachusetts research and education. good environmental, social and Johor, seven schools in Penang, making quality education available Institute of Technology. governance practices. three schools in Selangor and 38 to Malaysian students, Sunway The Jeffrey Sachs Center on >SEE NEXT PAGE Besides education, Sunway is food wastage by redistributing thought to the 270,000 tonnes of feed the needy is its Rise Against University and Sunway Medical working towards realising other food to the needy. food wasted every Ramadan. By Hunger campaign. For the past Centre in the Klang Valley, United Nations Sustainable According to the National educating the public about food five years, Sunway's employees Sunway International School in Development Goals (UNSDGs). Its Health and Morbidity Survey wastage, doing good deeds and have packed more than one Johor, Sunway Lost World Hotel commitment to the second 2015, 12.5% of children are still feeding the homeless and urban million nutrition-dense, in Ipoh, and Sunway Hotel UNSDG, Zero Hunger, is defined underweight even as Malaysia poor, Sunwayians are doing our dehydrated meals for Seberang Jaya in Penang- was through its determination to end fights against obesity, which bit to make small changes for a underserved communities in completed in 14,000 volunteer hunger, achieve food security and affects 44% of the general better and more sustainable Malaysia, Timor Leste and hours. improved nutrition and promote population. future," he said. Cambodia. The initiative has To make this event a success, sustainable agriculture. In a press conference for the Sunway continued its since fed thousands of families in Sunway enlisted the help of six In June last year, Sunway initiative, Sunway Group deputy partnership with Kechara Soup these countries. non-governmental organisations launched the #zerofoodwastage executive chairman Tan Sri Kitchen beyond Ramadan and In August, 1,750 Sun way to distribute the packed food. initiative in collaboration with Razman M. Hashim talked about has extended its efforts to its employees from Ipoh, Penang, the These organisations were the Kechara Soup Kitchen at its buka the importance of educating the sister hotels- Sun way Putra Klang Valley and Johor Baru Rotary Centennial Club (Johor), puasa buffet at Sun way Resort public about food wastage and Hotel, The Banjaran Hotsprings volunteered to prepare 500,000 Sahabat Orang Asli, Rotary Club Hotel& Spa. feeding the urban poor. Retreat, Sun way Hotel meals for impoverished families KK South (Sabah), Rotary Club The brainchild of Tengku "Many Malaysians are Georgetown and Sun way Hotel in these three countries. Kuching (Sarawak), Salesians Zatashah Sharafuddin Idris Shah, fortunate to have an abundance Seberang Jaya. The meal-packing, which took Missions (Timor Leste), and this initiative acts to fight against of food and may not give much Another initiative by Sun way to place in five locations- Sunway One20ne (Cambodia). Tan Sri Dr Jeffrey Cheah (fifth from right) and Tan Sri Razman M. Hashim (sixth from right) with volunteers for Sunway's #zerofoodwaste campaign provides unserved hotel food to Sunway's Rise Against Hunger campaign. impoverished families. pressreader E.r!.��,l!�.c:!.��!!'! ..tL2z.��.� P COPYRIGHT.-.NDPROTECHDBYAPPLICABLELAW l - '"""''""'""'""'""'"'""'""] THE STAR, TUESDAY 18 DECEMBER 2018 CSR 3 >FROM PREVIOUS PAGE The first batch intake is full for Sunway iLabs Makerspace to European Commission will fund development of entrepreneurship this programme. Classes will promote entrepreneurship among the Sunway Social Innovation and innovation skills. Sun way Education Group also commence in January next year. ambitious students who aim to Support Unit to extend assistance "Sun way iLabs' initiatives and launched the Master in Sustainable lead the future with new to social innovators while its the launch of the Sunway iLabs Development Management under Joining hands in innovations. partnership with UC Berkeley will Makerspace facility ensures the JSC in October. This programme Partnering with Go ogle, IBM, help it develop entrepreneurship availability of future talent by aims to equip people from innovation Hitachi Sunway Information programmes. equipping students with the multidisciplinary backgrounds to Systems, Xperanti loT and General The A3 Global Collider necessary skill sets and preparing become adept at management and Aside from building a Electric, the Sun way iLabs partnership will fund and nurture them for the Fourth Industrial problem-solving using analytics community of sustainability, Makerspace is equipped to help start-ups for regionalisation and Revolution as aligned with the and systems thinking guided by Sunway is keen on creating students and entrepreneurs with a internationalisation. It is Higher Education Ministry's global concerns. entrepreneurs who will carry on collaborative space and tools for anticipated that the partnership commitment to equip students Prof Woo Wing Thye, director of its vision that