Fatimah (standing centre), flanked by Robert (on her right) and Shamsur, poses with recipients of the Petronas CSR grants after the handing-over ceremony at Wisma Bapa Malaysia.
KUCHING: Recognising the important role of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the state, Petronas with the assistance of the state government has identified 52 NGOs to receive grants of RM25,000 each.
The grants which come under Petronas’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives are part of the RM2 million allocation for Sarawak over the next five years.
“NGOs are the ones who spearhead social wellness in our society. They are the ones who can further ensure that no segments of our society feel left behind,” said Welfare, Women and Family Development Minister Datuk Fatimah Abdullah during the handing-over ceremony at Wisma Bapa Malaysia yesterday.
She also said the state was very grateful to Petronas for providing the grants to the NGOs, who found it difficult to obtain sponsors due to the rising cost of goods.
On July 1 this year, a total of 20 NGOs also received the same amount of grants, bringing the total amount allocated by Petronas to RM1.8 million.
Fatimah, who is also Dalat assemblywoman, said this was made possible by the persistence and hard work of Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem in convincing the national oil company to come up with the CSR initiatives for Sarawak.
“The state government is working closely with Petronas to implement various CSR programmes encompassing education, community wellbeing and environmental conservation,” she added.
For education and human capital development, she said Petronas was collaborating with the state government to implement focus programmes on education, technical skills development and enhancement of graduates’ employability.
Among the programmes are the construction of a new Maktab Rendah Sains Mara (MRSM) in Bintulu and two rural hostels (Asrama Desa).
She also said five schools in Lundu had been adopted by Petronas under the Trust School Programme in collaboration with Yayasan Amir.
Other initiatives, she added, included enhancement of technical skills development under the Vocational Institution Sponsorship and Training Assistance Programme (Vista), new sponsorship programmes with Mara through ‘Program Budi Petronas’ for underprivileged students in MRSM Sarawak and increasing the intake for the Graduate Employability Enhancement Scheme.
Apart from education and human capital development, Petronas will also implement 11 additional CSR projects to enhance community wellbeing and environmental conservation, she further said.
“These projects will include marine and biodiversity conservation efforts, contributions to NGOs, setting up of community centres and the first Petrosains Playsmart Centre in Sarawak.”
In addition, she revealed, Petronas will be collaborating with the relevant state government agencies in the next five years to implement the new initiatives.
Assistant Minister for Welfare Robert Lawson Chuat Vincent Entering and Petronas Sarawak Region general manager Shamsur Taha attended the ceremony.