Rohani (seated, fourth right) with Yap (seated, third left) spend time with children at the newly-launched library. — Photo by Jeffrey Mostapa

KUCHING: Minister of Women, Family and Community Development Datuk Seri Rohani Abdul Karim has called for further collaboration between the private sector and voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs) under the Social Welfare Department (JKM) to provide more for the less fortunate in the country.

She commended Astro for its numerous corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes in line with the government’s efforts to preserve a harmonious and caring society.

As of yesterday, the ministry’s strategic alliance partners included Astro, Great Eastern, Nestle, Avon, Colgate and Tesco.

“We urge more corporations to emulate Astro by joining us to preserve a caring society.

“Social welfare is the obligation of all, and not just the government alone. We want everyone to come forward to offer not just materials but bring happiness to residents of various VWOs,” she told a press conference after launching the second phase of Astro Kasih Knowledge Zone (AKKZ) at Peryatim Laila Taib Complex here yesterday.

“We welcome all forms of contributions. You can visit them and like those at Peryatim (Pertubuhan Anak-Anak Yatim), you can care for the children. Your gesture will replace their emptiness with happiness.”

Rohani recalled that the inaugural phase of AKKZ was launched by the prime minister in 2012, involving 24 children welfare centres across the country.

The second phase of the Astro community project, she pointed out, is set to benefit 110 children welfare homes registered with JKM. The programme helps promote the habit of reading among the young by setting up a library at the complex while ‘Astro Kasih Eko Village’ was also launched to encourage children to plant vegetables.

She added that Colgate had so far contributed RM500,000 since its pledge in 2013 while many other corporations and individuals had contributed in other ways.

“Colgate pledged to contribute 10 sen to the foundation for every product consumers purchase. They either specify the organisations they want to help or the ministry distributes the money collected among the organisations that are in need,” she explained.
 
Her ministry has also come up with a mechanism where VWOs wrote down their wishes and private corporations would then come forward to fulfil those wishes.

“At My Corporate Care, a section of my ministry’s website, you will see a Wish List where corporations can pledge what the VWOs need.”

Earlier in her speech, she said she believed a lot of corporations wanted to help but did not know how to reach out.

They are advised to visit www.mycorporatecare.com.my for more information.

This year, Rohani said Putrajaya had granted RM27.2 million for the benefit of 243 VWOs throughout Malaysia.

Last year, the allocation was higher at about RM27.6 million for 241 VWOs. She added JKM Malaysia also recorded some RM5.4 million contributed by 1,149 private corporations for various VWOs nationwide.

She expressed confidence that Astro would come up with more initiatives to reach out to the various communities in need.

Meanwhile, Astro Community Affairs director Datuk David Yap said at the press conference that Astro had launched some 900 community projects since 2009, with most of them focusing on rural areas.

In Sarawak, he said SK Sungai Paku had also benefited from the ‘Asrama Astro Kasih’ project in 2013 when a more comfortable hostel was provided for the students there.

“We have various activities going on in the country. Next week, we will be in Miri for a concert organised for a Chinese school,” he said.