KUCHING: Petronas staff have come together to donate RM6.4 million through a voluntary salary contribution initiative to be channelled to the Tabung Covid-19 under the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma).
The contribution aims to expand the funds at Nadma’s disposal towards intensifying the responses amidst this pandemic, especially towards the distribution of essential supplies and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to frontline staff and volunteers.
The week-long donation drive enabled staff to specify any amount of contribution via automatic deduction from their monthly salary, said Petronas president and group chief executive officer, Tan Sri Wan Zulkiflee Wan Ariffin.
“Commencing with contributions from senior management donating 10 percent of their April and May 2020 salaries, the initiative garnered strong support from 9,500 participating staff with a total of RM6.4 million successfully raised,” he disclosed in a statement yesterday.
“Our success in overcoming this pandemic requires all of us, including those who are not at the front-lines battling the disease to show courage, compassion and generosity to others. It is my hope that our modest gesture will assist the less fortunate and provide our frontliners with support in fighting Covid-19,” he added.
The salary contribution by staff is in addition to Petronas’ various contributions already made via its business operating units and subsidiaries in Malaysia as well as throughout the world, amounting to RM31.4 million as at 17 April 2020. The above donations bring Petronas’ total contribution on Covid-19 efforts to RM37.8 million.
He said the contribution included RM20 million worth of critical medical equipment and supplies to hospitals and healthcare frontliners, donated by Yayasan Petronas, the company’s corporate social responsibility arm on Thursday, adding this is being carried out in stages in collaboration with Health Ministry and Nadma.
He said contributions by various subsidiaries across the group were also made in the form of medical equipment and supplies as well as raw materials for the production of the PPE.
Wan Zulkiflee said several of Petronas facilities, including its research center in Bangi, have also produced sanitising liquids.
In addition to this support, essential food items and Petronas gift cards are also being distributed to deserving households.
He said Petronas employees had also backed donation drives by the company’s affiliated organisations such as the Association of Wives and Women Staff of Petronas (Petronita), Badan Kebajikan Islam Petronas (Bakip), Dana Asy-Syakirin Petronas and Kelab Sukan dan Rekreasi Petronas (KSRP).
