Small Medium Enterprise Development Bank Malaysia Bhd (SME Bank), through its corporate social responsibility programme, has once again stepped forward to help frontliners by channelling contributions worth RM50,000 to the National Security Council (MKN).
Deputy Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin presented the contribution to MKN (strategic security) deputy director-general Datuk Khairul Shahril Idrus at a handover ceremony attended by SME Bank group president and chief executive officer Aria Putera Ismail.
Mas Ermieyati said, “I am proud of the efforts made by SME Bank in helping the frontliners during this pandemic.
“This contribution will ease the government’s burden besides responding to the call for all agencies and non-governmental organisations to work together through this difficult period.
“As a caring and responsible development financial institution (DFI), the contribution is in the form of packed food for frontliners who are on duty during the movement control order period at selected government hospitals nationwide and agencies under the MKN, ” she added.
“This corporate responsibility programme will be carried out simultaneously at 26 SME Bank branches nationwide, ” said Aria.
Apart from the contribution to MKN, since the beginning of the pandemic SME Bank has made corporate contributions and zakat amounting to more than RM300,000 to several agencies, including the National Disaster Management Agency, Health Ministry, Malaysian Red Crescent Society and selected government hospitals nationwide.
The contributions were used for the purchase of personal protective equipment for frontliners and medical equipment to treat Covid-19 patients.
Besides providing assistance to frontliners, SME Bank also conducts entrepreneur development programmes to enable micro and small entrepreneurs to continue their business.
Among the CSR programmes that are being implemented is the “Penjana Komuniti@SMEBank” programme which involves 20 selected B40 micro-entrepreneurs, with the aim to stimulate their economic activities that are affected by the pandemic.
This hands-on training programme is to improve the entrepreneurs’ skills in running their online business systematically.
The “Penjana Komuniti@SMEBank” programme will be extended nationwide next year.
Source: https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/metro-news/2020/12/18/stepping-up-to-help