NNR Global Logistics (Malaysia) have made it their mission to give back to their local community through an ongoing project with PJ Caring Home, which cares mainly for people who are elderly or intellectually challenged. It’s one of the first in the region to adopt an open concept method which allows most patients to lead a life as ordinary as possible, encouraging interaction with society.
The outreach project involves over 40 of NNR employees from both NNR HQ and the KLIA branch working alongside the staff at PJ Caring Home to improve quality of life for its residents through two main channels: renovation and provision of goods. Employees are involved in cleaning, painting and gardening and have also donated groceries, toiletries, a TV and washing machines.
The main mission of the NNR team is to get to know and understand the needs of the residents and as a result, long-term friendships have been cultivated. This project was NNR Malaysia’s first CSR programme and has provided a springboard for future endeavours to involve further branches in Penang, Melaka and Johor Bahru. The programme will include issues such as the environment and safety and awareness.
Asian Tigers Mobility has established the Tiger Action Fund, which supports global efforts to protect tigers. The Fund’s support to WWF will go towards critical resources such as training for rangers, anti-poaching efforts, research and policy advocacy, and communications support. In the long term, these measures will inspire collective action across the globe to protect Asia’s wild tigers and catalyze impactful legislative change.
“This partnership with WWF is an excellent opportunity to enable the Tiger Action Fund to have an even greater impact. We are confident that by combining our resources and talents, we can provide a boost to the TX2 goal of doubling wild tigers. As we share the same values and commitment to a healthy planet for wildlife and people, it was a natural fit between Asian Tigers Group and WWF. We look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship with the WWF, and to ensure that the money the Asian Tigers Mobility group raised will have the maximum possible impact in reversing the decline in the wild tiger population around the world.”
– Gordon Bell, Chairman, Asian Tigers Group
On October 5, AMCHAM hosted a special roundtable discussion focusing on the use of ‘big data’ in understanding public sentiments, and how the business community can be using knowledge of the contemporary zeitgeist to develop actionable insights supporting their branding and reputed management strategies.
Mr. Shahid Shayaa, CEO of Berkshire Media, a big data company specializing in social media analytics, helped to kickstart the discussion by sharing insights gathered by his company into public perceptions on a range of policy issues during the first 100 Days of Malaysia’s new government.
The panel discussion was joined by Umesh Nair, Head of Reputation at Edelman Public Relations Malaysia, who observed how consumers and young talent alike are increasingly expecting private companies to provide thought leadership and advocacy on issues of common concern as part of their corporate responsibility and identity. Adib Zalkapli, Senior Associate at political consultancy Vriens & Partners, commented on both the opportunities and the challenges of incorporating data about public sentiments into the policymaking process.
Thank you to Abdul Rahman Abu Haniffa, Director of Government Affairs and Policy at GE Malaysia and also Chairman of AMCHAM’s Government Relations Committee, for leading today’s discussion as our moderator!
On October 11, AMCHAM attended a Public Engagement Session for Draft Technical Codes at the Malaysian Technical Standards Forum Berhad (MTSFB), the body tasked by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to develop Technical Standards and Industry Codes.
AMCHAM has been working all year with our member companies in the technology and communications sectors to review and provide recommendations for draft technical standards relating to Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6). This is a great example of public-private collaboration at the technical level that can help to improve the policymaking process and ensure that new standards are business-friendly and simple to comply with.
We had a fantastic turnout on October 23rd at our Members’ Briefing at the Westin Kuala Lumpur, with more than 45 members in attendance to catch up on the latest activities at AMCHAM, hear insights from the U.S. Embassy, and engage in some casual networking.
Executive Director, Siobhan Das updated members on recent achievements of the Chamber and shared details of our busy schedule of events towards the end of the year. One major announcement made at the briefing – AMCHAM will be moving office and we will be sending out an official notice soon.
Nat Turner, Economic Counsellor, and Catherine Spillman, Senior Commercial Counsellor from the U.S. Embassy Kuala Lumpur updated members on what the embassy is currently busy with and shared some of the key takeaways from the Embassy’s recent meetings with the Ministry of Primary Industries, Ministry of Communications and Multimedia, and the Ministry of Health.
Ambassador Lakhdir has been actively visiting companies to support and amplify the CSR programs of American companies. Both AMCHAM and the Embassy encourage and welcome members to share their CSR activities with us, and AMCHAM has recently created a new industry committee on Corporate Citizenship.
AMCHAM would like to thank Nat and Catherine for taking the time to brief our members and also a special thank you to all our members for attending.
On Thursday 25 October, AMCHAM welcomed representatives from the Ministry of Finance and Inland Revenue Board to brief our new Investment & Taxation committee on their recent OECD meetings in Paris and share progress on their efforts to reform Malaysia’s investment incentives and align with the country’s commitments on BEPS Action 5.
Representatives from Ministry of International Trade and Industry, Malaysia, Malaysian Investment Development Authority – MIDA, MDEC, and InvestKL joined tax professionals and finance directors from AMCHAM member companies in a packed room for a very open and constructive roundtable discussion. AMCHAM thanked the government stakeholders and member companies alike for their detailed preparation and robust contributions.
If you are an AMCHAM member and interested in joining the Investment & Taxation committee, please contact Lewis, Public Affairs Manager at [email protected]
