In a time of crisis, there should not be a ‘you’ or ‘me.’ Rather, it should be an ‘us’ to manage the crisis. And this is exactly what’s happening with Government-Linked Companies (GLCs) and Government-Linked Investment Companies (GLICs) in Malaysia, with the current COVID-19 pandemic.
The Health Ministry (MOH) together with Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) has initiated an action coalition to encourage corporate companies in Malaysia to collaborate with the government and work hand-in-hand to fight the Covid-19 virus outbreak in the country.
Named the GLC/GLIC Disaster Response Network (GDRN), the sepcial fund is managed by the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA). It essentially gives financial aid to those directly affected by the COVID-19 infection.
GLCs and GLICs in Malaysia have to-date (as of 24 March 2020) donated about RM40 million to the fund. Of that, RM17 million has been pledged directly to support the MOH to purchase medical supplies, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and ventilators. The rest of the fund will be used in the distribution of food supplies, hygiene kits and medical equipment to hospitals, including district health clinics, universities that are still housing students on campus, and the Surveillance Centre managed by the NADMA.
The companies involved in this admirable effort include:
1. Affin Bank Berhad
2. CIMB Bank Berhad
3. Kumpulan Wang Persaraan (KWAP)
4. Permodalan Nasional Berhad
5. Sime Darby Property Berhad
6. Pharmaniaga
7. Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB)
8. Telekom Malaysia
9. TIME dotcom Berhad
10. Yayasan Hasanah
11. Yayasan Sime Darby
12. Yayasan UEM
Our hats off to those who pledged! This initiative is commendable to say the least, and will no doubt play a positive role in combating the COVID-19 outbreak. A move as such not only benefits the nation, but also SEA and the world as a whole if other countries follow similar footsteps.
Adding on to that, Malaysia Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Aziz urges for the corporate sector to emulate this move in assisting national efforts against the pandemic. “The government welcomes the generosity of Malaysians, both the rakyat and the corporate sector, in contributing and donating towards addressing the Covid-19 outbreak,” he said in a statement.
Corporations and organisations interested to pledge support may contact the MOH at 03-8883 3069/3076/2406.
Source: NST
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