KUCHING: Corporate parties are called upon to help promote the Back-To-School programme initiated by the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP).
Its Deputy Minister Chong Chieng Jen said such programme aimed to minimise the burden of parents from low income group to get school necessities for their children at affordable prices.
“Our strategic partners especially Aeon Group of Companies in Malaysia is among corporate parties who had always supported the ministry’s initiative in implementing the programme.
“Without strategic collaborations with the corporate sector and the government in conducting corporate social responsibility (CSR), charity programme like this (Back-To-School programme) will not be possible,” he said.
He said this when officiating at the Aeon Credit Back-To-School programme held at Aeon Mall Kuching Central here, yesterday.
When tabling the 2020 Budget in Parliament recently, Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng mentioned that to further encourage the private sector to donate as part of their CSR, the government has increased the donation reporting threshold from RM5,000 to RM10,000 under Subsection 44(6) of the Income Tax Act 1967. This will subsequently be increased to RM20,000 beginning 2020.
Chong said that such programme can help reduce the burden of the parents especially in the ongoing and coming festive seasons — Christmas and New Year, plus the school reopening next month.
“Not only that, the other purpose of this programme is also to motivate the students that they are the receiver today, but tomorrow they can be the giver,” he added.
About 170 underprivileged students were treated to free school necessities worth RM200 for each student in the programme courtesy of Aeon Credit Service (M) Bhd.
