Zamree and Chai (standing sixth and seventh left) with residents of Miri Sunflower Centre.
MIRI: In conjunction with the coming Gawai Dayak celebration, Credit Guarantee Corporation Malaysia Berhad (CGC) made a special visit to the Sunflower Centre yesterday, to share the joy of the festive season with special children and individuals there.
The programme was also part of the corporation’s corporate social responsibility (CSR).
“We are pleased to be given the opportunity to celebrate Gawai Dayak festival with the children and individuals here through our CSR initiative.
“We aim to continuously reach out to all levels of society and assist in every way we can,” said CGC president and chief executive officer Mohd Zamree Mohd Ishak in his address at the event yesterday.
He added that, as a Malaysian living in a multi-cultural and multi-religious society, he understood the significance of festivals celebrated by all ethnic groups.
“We would like to take the opportunity during this festive season to share and spread joy through care, attention and assistance, in conjunction with the Gawai Harvest Festival.
“It is in our corporate DNA that we give back to the community through a variety of channels and bodies, with an objective to assist the underprivileged, and in developing a sustainable future for all those in need, so that they too may lead a comfortable life like you and me,” he told those present.
Also present to witness the CSR programme were Piasau assemblyman Datuk Sebastian Ting and person-in-charge of the Sunflower Centre, Liza Chai.
The function included the presentation of a RM12,000 donation from CGC to Sunflower Centre, in support of the centre’s continuous therapy programmes and its daily operations.
“We are thankful for the fact that corporations such as CGC go out of their way to extend their assistance to our cause. This means a lot to us,” said Chai.
The CGC Gawai Dayak CSR programme saw the participation of CGC staff from both their headquarters in Kelana Jaya, Selangor and their Miri branch, which is among the two branches in Sarawak. The other branch is in Kuching.
Zamree said in the last two years, CGC had contributed more than RM250,000 through its CSR programmes as part of its effort in lending a helping hand and reaching out to all sections of the society throughout the country.
The Miri Sunflower Centre is under the purview of the Malaysian Red Crescent (MRC) Miri Chapter. Its sole mission is to train and develop individuals with special needs, especially children, through specific programmes and training.
The programmes include therapy sessions and vocational skills training sessions to help equip these individuals with the right skill sets so that they may be given an equal employment opportunity to eventually be self-sufficient and independent. Currently, 21 trained caretakers are employed to attend to inmates at the centre.
At the function, Ting announced a RM5,000 personal donation for the centre.