(Back row, standing from second left) AEON corporate marketing general manager Thong Poh Wah, ministry’s state director Dato Stanley Tan, Chong, Ng, and AEON Credit Service Corporate Governance Group head Azareena Abdullah in a photo-call with the recipients.
KUCHING: A total of 170 underprivileged children from Sekolah Sebangsaan RPR Batu Kawa received school bags and other necessities for the new school year, courtesy of AEON Credit Service (M) Berhad and Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs.
Deputy Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Chong Chieng Jen presented the donation to the selected school children at AEON Mall Kuching Central yesterday.
AEON Credit Service (M) Berhad’s chairman Ng Eng Kiat said AEON’s Back-to-School programme was first introduced in 2012 to lighten the burden of underprivileged families for the new school year.
“Preparing for a brand-new year at school may be an easy task for those from higher income family groups but for the less fortunate ones, it may not be so (sic),” said Ng at the shopping mall yesterday..
Ng said the initiative was part of AEON’s corporate social responsibility consistent with its pledge to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals No 4 for Quality Education and No11 for Sustainable Cities and Communities.
Meanwhile, Chong lauded AEON for holding such programmes to ease the cost of living and share the joy of festive seasons with the less fortunate members of the community.
“To the children receiving school necessities, I hope this would motivate you to study hard so that one day you could also give back to the society,” said Chong to the children during the programme.
Chong also called upon other corporate bodies to organise back-to-school programme to help students from poor family background.
To date, 1,550 primary school pupils have benefitted from AEON’s annual Back-to-School programme with The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs.