Ever since the COVID-19 outbreak, Malaysia’s marvellous frontliners have been working tirelessly, risking their lives to help flatten the curve. The global pandemic has certainly taken the world by storm, as we witness the continued rise in the number of infections. The military, doctors, nurses, hospital staff, screening officials, and many volunteering personnel continue to sacrifice their time and energy to contain the pandemic with much courage and bravery.
As these unsung heroes valiantly play their part in helping to make a positive difference in our country during these uncertain times, we must be mindful that to come out of these testing times, we need to be there for one another. It is heartening to see that several corporations and individuals have stepped up to the plate in easing the burdens of our fellow Malaysians – from providing personal protective equipment (PPE) to frontliners, to feeding the homeless and poor. The Malay proverb ‘berat sama dipikul ringan sama dijinjing’ has never been more pronounced.
Dr Sakinah Binti Alwi, Director, Selayang Hospital (fourth from right) and Subramaniam Sandracasen, Deputy Managing Director, Hospital Selayang (third from right) posing for photos together with representatives from the MHTC family
These are namely some organisations that have made a concerted effort in helping the community during these trying times.
Proton – The Malaysian automotive company produced personal protection equipment (PPE) device at its headquarters in Shah Alam to protect frontliners from the virus. The company aims to produce 60,000 face shields and distribute them for free[1].
Unilever Malaysia – In partnership with the Health Ministry, Unilever contributed more than 22,000 Lifebuoy soaps, personal care and food products[2] to healthcare frontliners, as well as RM1.2 million worth of food items and personal hygiene products for the vulnerable communities.
Malaysia Healthcare – Joining the noble cause, Malaysia Healthcare has introduced ‘Gerobok Raya’ – a personal social initiative – embarked by the staff members at the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) to express gratitude towards the nation’s healthcare frontliners. The initiative involved supplying traditional and healthy Raya treats to over 800 healthcare frontliners in public hospitals and the Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre (CPRC) at the Ministry of Health so they can enjoy their favourite Raya treats and are able to relive a part of the tradition during the festive season.
Nirvana Asia Group – The bereavement care provider donated 8,700 sets of medical isolation gowns, 600,000 pieces of three-ply surgical face masks, 3,400 sets of medical face shields, and 20 sets of ventilators[3], with a total worth exceeding RM5.7mil to alleviate medical supply shortages in hospitals.
Intel Malaysia – To help ease the difficult situation, Intel committed to donate over RM2 million to healthcare professionals in the country[4] to purchase test kits, ventilators, patient monitors and air purifiers for general hospitals in Penang and Kedah; and provide support for other government agencies.
7-Eleven Malaysia – Malaysia’s standalone convenience store chain has partnered up with Lucence, a precision oncology company to donate 2,000 SAFER-Sample™ kits, saliva sample collection kits for coronavirus detection[5] to the Ministry of Health Malaysia. This is to support our country’s efforts in combating the pandemic.
Airbnb – Airbnb’s global ‘Frontline Stays’ initiative aims to provide frontliners who battle COVID-19 a safe and convenient place to stay[6] as they carry out their critical work. The company recently announced the initiative to help house 100,000 healthcare professionals, relief workers and first responders around the world.
Projek SamaSama – A community initiative organised by the staff members of Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC), Projek SamaSama raised funds amounting up to RM70,000 in order to provide more protective gear for our frontliners. Funds secured were directed towards purchasing PPE gear for facilities that are in most dire need of it, including high volume government hospitals, and government clinics and facilities in red zones.
Mr. DIY – Through The Edge COVID-19 Fund, Mr. DIY helped to source for 35,000 PPE suits and one million three-ply face masks[7] to bring back to our country. An additional 1,000 PPE suits were purchased to donate to healthcare professionals.
RHB Banking Group – RHB provided 20,000 packed meals and snacks[8] to healthcare workers at eight hospitals across the country throughout the Movement Control Order (MCO) period. RHB has been delivering 450 packed meals daily to six hospitals namely, the Sungai Buloh Hospital, Serdang Hospital, Ampang Hospital, Selayang Hospital, Putrajaya Hospital, and Kuala Lumpur Hospital.
In facing these struggles as a nation, let us come together, look out for each other and collectively win this battle against COVID-19. When we see everyone pulling their resources together, it reminds us of the larger picture; of how closely united and connected Malaysians are as a nation, how much we rely on each other, and how the success of the larger collective depends on the work of many. Let’s bulldoze on and strive to fight this together.
