Press Release 2019

UOB Malaysia brings festive cheer to more than 70 underprivileged children in celebrating the Lunar New Year

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 8 February 2019 - United Overseas Bank Malaysia Bhd's (UOB Malaysia) Commercial Banking clients and colleagues brought more than 70 underprivileged children on an outing last week to celebrate the Lunar New Year. The children were from Rumah Sayangan¹, Rainbow Home², Angels Children's Home³ and Yayasan Sunbeams Home⁴ in the Klang Valley.

The annual Commercial Banking Lunar New Year outreach activity is part of UOB's Malaysia's Heartbeat Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Programme, which focuses on the support of art, children and education.

The day commenced with a visit to Kuala Lumpur's Taman Tugu Forest Reserve, where close to 40 of the Bank's client and employee volunteers accompanied the children on a nature walk followed by a tree-planting session. During the walk, the children learnt about different types of trees and plants that are native to the Malaysian jungle and the importance of preserving the natural environment through recycling and forest conservation.

The Bank's clients and Commercial Banking team also staged a comedy sketch and hosted a buffet lunch before distributing red packets to the children. The day ended with a shopping expedition to NSK Supermarket in Kuala Lumpur where the children stocked up on festive treats for their Lunar New Year celebrations.

Mr Hendra Gunawan, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, UOB Malaysia, said the annual UOB Commercial Banking Lunar New Year outreach programme has become a tradition, reflecting the Bank's commitment to support local communities in the areas of art, children and education.

"Every year, it is customary for us to band together with our colleagues and our clients to bring festive cheer to children from underprivileged backgrounds. Organising an outreach programme in conjunction with the widely-celebrated Lunar New Year festival in Malaysia is part of our ongoing efforts to support our local communities. Through our programmes, we aim to connect people, to strengthen bonds and to enrich lives."

Pastor Alvin Tan, Founder and Chairman of Yayasan Sunbeams Home, said, "We are happy to see companies such as UOB Malaysia focus their efforts on giving back to the community. Through the UOB Commercial Banking Lunar New Year outreach activity, our children had the opportunity to build their social and interactive skills while learning about the important role they play in conserving and preserving our environment."

UOB Malaysia's Heartbeat CSR Programme demonstrates the Bank's long-term commitment to the communities in which it operates through partnership, philanthropy and participation initiatives. The programme comprises a number of key initiatives, including the annual UOB Heartbeat Run/Walk event, the UOB Commercial Banking Lunar New Year outreach event and the UOB Heartbeat Employee Volunteerism programme.

 

1 Rumah Sayangan was established in the year 1989. Its objective is to minister to underprivileged, abused, abandoned and orphaned children irrespective of race, creed or religion for the enhancement of their holistic well-being. 2 Rainbow Home, which started in 2002, is a multi-racial home for underprivileged, abandoned, abused and orphaned children. 3 Angels Children's Home was set up in 2004. It provides shelter, food, clothing, education and guidance to help the needy and poverty-stricken orphans and children who do not have proper meals and education. 4 Yayasan Sunbeams Home is a non-governmental, self-supporting multi-racial foundation that has been providing care, quality education and a safe environment for children from abused, neglected and underprivileged backgrounds since 1995.