Shafie (fifth left), his wife Datin Seri Shuryani Shuaib (fourth left), Azmir (sixth left) with the underprivileged children during the opening of the McDonald’s outlet in Semporna yesterday.
SEMPORNA: The Sabah government values the efforts of fast food giant McDonald’s Malaysia to give back to society, particularly residents in the state, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal yesterday.
Lauding McDonald’s philanthropy such as schooling assistance for underprivileged children, Shafie also welcomed its RM25 million investment in the state through the opening of several new outlets across Sabah.
He said this during a press conference after officiating at the opening of the McDonald’s outlet in Semporna yesterday, which also saw the presentation of a ‘zakat’ contribution of RM101,000 from McDonald’s, along with the launch of its Back-to-School and industrial training programmes.
Shafie added that McDonald’s efforts to contribute to the well-being of Sabahans, was in line with the state government’s aspirations.
He also said the opening of the new McDonald’s outlet in Semporna will provide job opportunities to the youths and help to attract tourists apart from generating the district’s economy.
“It is also a good place for family gathering and having quality time with the family and children,” he said.
McDonald’s Malaysia managing director Azmir Jaafae said the other new outlets would be opened in the Keningau and Likas districts, among others.
At the ceremony yesterday, McDonald’s Malaysia announced a contribution of RM622,800 which will be used to support underprivileged families, while its Back-to-School programme has supported a total of 1,900 children at 63 schools across the state, this year.
Azmir said among the community initiatives announced include McDonald’s business zakat contribution, appointment of youths from underprivileged community to participate in McDonald’s National Dual Training System (NDTS) training programme, and the presentation of “Back-to-School” packs to primary school children from underprivileged families.
“We hope that the opening of our latest restaurant in Sabah here in Semporna will create job opportunities and open up venues for talent development, especially for those living in Semporna. In addition to boosting the state’s economy, we hope our business expansion in Sabah will enable us to continuously engage more with the underprivileged community in the state,” he said.