Carrefour Malaysia initiates “No Plastic Bags” usage at its new Carrefour Market

Echoing government’s call to provide a better living environment to all Malaysian public, Carrefour Malaysia has kickstarted its “Plastic Bag-less” campaign at its new 19th outlet called Carrefour Market recently.

Located at The Sphere, Bangsar South, Kuala Lumpur, the latest Carrefour Market, with an area size of 2000 square metres, will be used as a stepping stone to eliminate usage of plastic bags among shoppers to improve a healthy living society amid global warming that is critically progressing on earth.

Officiating the launch of Carrefour Market, Datuk M Saravanan, Deputy Minister of Federal Territory, said, “I applaud this move from Carrefour and hope that the other retailers will follow suit”. Mr. Guillaume de Colonges, Chief Executive Officer of Carrefour Malaysia, added,”In our business, we have the advantage of a large consumer base and because of this we know we can make an impact to promote public awareness on the need to protect and conserev our environmental heritage”. Also at hand to support Carrefour Market’s effort in “going green” campaign are celebrities like Amber Chia, Vanidah Imran and Rashidi Ishak.

Guardian Reveals its Much Awaited Big Headz Safari Collection For All Malaysian Toy Enthusiasts

It was overwhelmingly packed with children, parents as well as the orphanage children from Rumah Kasih Harmoni, who gathered at the Rainforest One Utama Shopping Centre recently, as Guardian Malaysia has once again, convincingly showcased its much awaited limited edition Big Headz Safari Collection for shoppers to redeem through accumulation of Guardian stamps.

Believed to be the first of its kind in the world in its launch, The Big Headz Safari Collection comprises 8 plush  safari animals (i.e the Hippo, Giraffe, Elephant,  Zebra, Tiger, Lion, Panther, Monkey), comes with an abnormally large heads and rounded-cute eyes, was derived from an idea to capture the carefree life of wild safari animals.

According to Miss Loi Liang Tok, Chief Operating Officer of Guardian, “Our redemption programs have been extremely successful in the past. We are excited about this new product as our Big Headz Safari Collection is a limited version, first of its series, only available in Guardian”.

With more than 300 over guests including orphanage children attending the momentous ocassion, the fun-filled day was actively participated by most of the Guardian participants, where some of the children dressed themselves up in animal costumes, others involved in face painting activities to look like some of their comic heroes or animated characters, some of the children were involved in colouring competition and a handful of them enjoyed the free magic shows performed by the magical man. Meanwhile at the midway to the performance stage, family members were anxiously queueing up to have their photos taken at the photo board with Rainforest as their backdrop. As the day past till late noon, Guardian participants were happily treated to free crunchy pop corn, salivating cotton candy, delicious ice cream, tasty cup cakes and juicy coconut drinks.

As a strong advocate in Corporate Social Responsibility and in the spirit of timely Ramadhan month, 20 orphans were given a Big Headz plush toy each together with a bag filled with goodies from Miss Loi and Merchandising General Manager, Miss Soon Ai Lan. In addition, RM2000 worth of Giant gift vouchers was also donated to Rumah Kasih Harmoni for its daily essential needs.

From now till 24th february 2010, with a purchased of single receipt worth RM15 in exchange for every stamp, at any Guardian stores nationwide, customers will be able to own one of the 8 Big Headz Safari toys for a total of 40 Guardian stamps accumulated or redeem any one of them at RM18.90 with just 20 accumulated Guardian stamps. Customers should look out for ’star buy’ items from Guardian’s respective partners namely Bio essence, Chewies, Johnson & Johnson, Loreal, Nivea, Unilever and other  participating brands.

For more information, please log on to www.guardian.com.my

Guardian Pays Tribute To Senior Citizens

Charity starts@begins at home. And this is what Guardian has done at its Wellness For All campaign in paying a meaningful tribute to senior citizens of Malaysia.

Held at Giant Hypermarket Bukit Tinggi, in line with the International Senior Citizens Day celebrated in the month of October, this annual event is aimed to create greater awareness on how senior citizens can pursue an active and fun-filled life even during their golden years.

Officiating the launch ceremony was, Miss Loi Liang Tok, Guardian’s Chief Operating Officer, who was at hand presenting a RM8000 mock  cheque to Mr. Roy Tan, Vice Chairman of Persatuan Kebajikan Rumah Grace Klang, a home for homeless & destitute women. Continuing this worthy cause over the years, Guardian, a strong advocates in giving back to the community and dedicated to care for the less fortunate and elderly, has made much of its contribution through Alzheimer’s Disease Foundation of Malaysia Guardian and the Malaysian Parkinson’s Disease Association.

In helping senior citizens to enjoy a better discount rate and promoting a healthy lifestyle among senior citizens, over the years, Guardian with its introduced Golden Privelege Card (since in 1989), todate, which has a total of 50,000 senior citizens memberships, have been enjoying these much needed privileges.

Petronas Coffee Break Promotes A Safe Driving Awareness in its 10th Anniversary Campaign

Its better to be late than sorry. For ten consecutive years, this message has been relayed by PETRONAS DAGANGAN Berhad, to all the Malaysian motorists to stay cautious while driving during festive season. This year’s Petronas Coffee Break Campaign will kick-start its 10th anniversary years, by offering customers extra beverages and snacks at its 32 selected PETRONAS stations nationwide from 17 to 19 September and from 25 to 27 September. Free beverages and snacks will be served from 4pm to 10pm at selected PETRONAS stations in Peninsular Malaysia, while, free beverages & snacks will be served from 3pm to 9pm at selected PETRONAS stations located in Sabah & Sarawak.

In support of painstaking efforts by the Ministry of Transport to curb road accidents as well as road casualties during the festive season, the Petronas Coffee Break Campaign has been championing  safe driving ethics among motorists during the ‘balilk kampung’ season. This helpful campaign has provided all the Malaysian motorists a timely opportunity to have a short break or rest at participated Petronas stations and at the same time enjoy free beverages and snacks, before continuing their long hours of driving along the highways as well as other major trunkroads.

Speaking at the press launch which was held at KLCC recently, Mr. Nur Azmin Abu Bakar, Petronas Dagangan Bhd’s General Manager of Corporate Services Division, said “as of todate, we have served more than 8,000,000 cups of coffee….and….by launching this beneficial campaign to all the road users, we intend to reach zero casualty”. Also present at the launch were, Yang Berusaha, Mr. Sim Say Kiong, Deputy Director of Road Transport Department, Mrs. Adeline Tay, Category Manager of Dutch Lady Milk Industries Berhad, Mr. Ng Tuck Hong, General Manager in Sales, Cotra Enterprises Sdn. Bhd, Mr. Lim Kim Sun, National Sales Manager of Nestle Products Sdn. Bhd, Mrs. Hazlinah Harun, Marketing Manager of Gardenia Bakeries (KL) Sdn. Bhd, Mr. Cham Yaw Yu, National Key Account Manager of Munchworld Marketing Sdn. Bhd, Mrs. Ong Chiek Ming, Marketing Manager of Mars Food Malaysia Sdn. Bhd, and Mr. Mohd Sabaruddin Mohd Amin, Managing Director and CEO of Petronas Dagangan Berhad.

List of 32 selected PETRONAS stations:

1. PETRONAS  Station Ulu Bernam
2. PETRONAS Station Genting SEMPAH
3. PETRONAS Station Sungai Besar
4. PETRONAS Station Rawang RSA
5. PETRONAS Station Tanjung Karang
6. PETRONAS Station NKVE, KM15.3  Damansara Bound
7. PETRONAS Station Bentong R & R
8. PETRONAS Station Jertih
9. PETRONAS Station GUCHIL JAYA
10. PETRONAS Station MUADZAM SHAH 2
11. PETRONAS Station GAMBANG WEST
12. PETRONAS Station GAMBANG EAST, R & R Gambang
13. PETRONAS Station KUALA BERANG
14. PETRONAS Station GUA MUSANG
15. PETRONAS Station KUALA KETIL
16. PETRONAS Station SIMPANG PULAI SOUTH
17. PETRONAS Station SIMPANG PULAI NORTH
18. PETRONAS Station R & R TAPAH
19. PETRONAS Station SUNGAI PERAK SELATAN
20. PETRONAS Station SUNGAI PERAK UTARA
21. PETRONAS Station GUNUNG SEMANGGOL
22. PETRONAS Station MACHAP SOUTH
23. PETRONAS Station MACHAP NORTH
24. PETRONAS Station LINKEDUA ARAH SELATAN
25. PETRONAS Station SEREMBAN RSA NORTH
26. PETRONAS Station SEREMBAN RSA SOUTH
27. PETRONAS Station AIR KEROH NORTH
28. PETRONAS Station AIR KEROH SOUTH
29. PETRONAS Station BETONG, Jalan Sri Aman Sarikei
30. PETRONAS Station MILE 13, Jln KUCHING-SERIAN
31. PETRONAS Station JALAN LINTAS, LABUK, Sandakan
32. PETRONAS Station KM16, Jalan Tuaran, Menggatal, Kota Kinabalu

Guardian Raises RM10,000 in its Annual Charity Walkathon

Guardian Malaysia has added another feather to its Corporate Social Responsibility’s cap of successfully raising RM10,000 in its Annual Charity Walkathon held at Sunway Lagoon Theme Park recently.

Renowned as the leading health, beauty, and personal care chain in Malaysia, Guardian Malaysia has organized its 6th edition charity walkathon to create health awareness and to help raising charity funds for the National Stroke Association of Malaysia (NASAM).

Participated by 1500 participants from all walks of life as well as stroke survivors, the 3km walk was flagged of by Selangor State Health Department’s Head of Family Development, Dr. Thavamalar a/p Ganason, Guardian’s General Manager of Pharmacy Practice, Wan Hwei Yen and Tracy Chan, representative of NASAM.

Speaking at the momentous occasion, Mrs. Wan Hwei Yen said,”at Guardian we are committed and thrilled to host this event every year.We take our role as responsible and caring corporate citizen very seriously and make it our pledge to raise funds for worthy causes every year”.

It is believed that this ongoing Guardian Charity Walkathon is an annual event aimed at highlighting the importance of a healthy and balanced lifestyle in addition to raising funds for a worthy cause.

Nutrition Month Malaysia 09′ is Launched to Create a Well-Equipped Society with Knowledge of Nutrition

Aiming to promote greater awareness, practice of healthy eating to attain nutritional well-being as well as to reach out to parents to ensure they are aware of the importance of childhood nutrition in formative years, Nutrition Society of Malaysia, Malaysian Dietitians’ Association and Malaysian Association for the Study of Obesity (MASO), have joined hands together to launch Nutrition Month Malaysia 2009 at Mid Valley Valley Exhibition Centre, Hall 3, yesterday.

Speaking at the press launch, Dr. Tee E Siong, Chairman of Nutrition Month Malaysia Steering Committee, said”…we are non profit organizations, comprising professionals such as, nutritionists, dietitians, doctors and other similar professionals…our common goal through NMM is to encourage all Malaysians to practice healthy eating habits and enjoy an active lifestyle to attain nutritional wellbeing and reduce the risk of nutrition related problems. We believe good nutrition should start in the formative years in order for our children to grow and develop well, it is during this period that our children begin to grow physically and develop mentally, emotionally and socially…”. Meanwhile, YABhg Toh Puan Dato’ Seri Hajah Dr. Aishah Ong, Chairman of the Malaysian Health Promotion Board, who echoed Dr. Tee sentiment by saying,”…we have identified that the present eating habits have to ‘break’ badly…on how to eat well, nobody really knows…therefore NMM has to come forward and start teaching the little ones from young, on the necessity of proper nutrition derived from the food…”. Also present at the launch were, Prof. Dr. Mohd Ismail Noor, President of Malaysian Association for the Study of Obesity, Mr. Mansor Fenner, Senior Manager of Malaysian Health Promotion Board and Miss Tan Yoke Hwa, President of  Malaysian Dietitians’ Association.

This year’s theme “Healthy Children, Healthier Nation”, will provide parents to be equipped with basic nutritional knowledge and guidelines on how to nourish their young ones with a nutritious head-start during the formative years from 1 to 6 years old.

In conjunction with the opening ceremony of NMM, Toh Puan Dr. Aishah Ong also officiated the unveiling of another MHPB-funded effort, by launching two free booklets of  healthy living on proper nutrition guidelines for all Malaysians, the Raising Healthy Eaters booklet, highlights the common nutritional defects, feeding mistakes on nutritional values and providing advices on weight monitoring, while the the Easy Nutrition Planner booklet, emphasizes on practical approach by introducing healthy cooking methods, meal-planning strategies and usage of nutritious recipes.

Other NMM 2009 upcoming activities include, Kindergarten Teachers Seminar will be held on 26 April 2009, at Corus Hotel, Kuala Lumpur. Publication of Educational Materials (provided free to all Malaysian public) about nutritional values are Raising Healthy Eaters guide book, Easy Nutritional Planner guide & recipe book, Raising Healthy Eaters Children’s DVD and Raising Healthy Eaters Childrens’ Worksheets (for Kindergarten teachers to work on).

The main sponsor for the success of NMM 2009 campaign is Nestle Products Sdn. Bhd., while co-sponsors are Malaysian Milk Sdn. Bhd.(Vitagen), Gardenia Bakeries Sdn. Bhd., Kraft Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. (Tiger), PepsiCo Malaysia, Wyeth Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. and Yakult Malaysia Sdn. Bhd.

Mercedes-Benz Malaysia Is Raising Awareness in CSR

 

 

Mercedes-Benz Malaysia has played its part in Corporate Social Responsibility by providing transport to 20 children at Pedro Shelter Home in a bid to assure that the kids do not miss out on the most important phase of their lives. In addition to the transportation, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia has also made a 12-year commitment to support the basic primary and secondary education of four kids which includes payment of school fees and all their school-going necessities such as uniforms, bags and  shoes.

 

Meanwhile, staff at Mercedes-Benz Malaysia also spend time with the kids on a regular basis where both the staff and the kids have fun-filled days engaged in a variety of activities including tutoring, games and mentoring.

 

Present at the momentous occasion were, Mr. Peter Honegg, CEO & President of Mercedes-Benz Malaysia, Mr. Florian Muellar, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia, Mr. Michael Moh, Vice President of After-Sales, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia, Mr. Rainer-Shaefer, Vice President of Sales & Marketing Commercial-Vehicles, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia, Mr. Ralph Kirschmer, Vice President of Finance Controlling & Administration, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia, Brother Anthony Thomas of San Pedro Home and Brother Edmund from El Shaddai Community Home

 

Honda Malaysia Brings Glittering Night to Medias at Luna Bar

It was a night that has given throngs of  pressmen a great occasion of entertainment to enjoy, an absolute fulfilling varieties of unlimited food and beverages as well as loads of Honda’s funfilled activities that have brought a smile to each and everyone of  them.

This year’s theme “Power of Dreams” associates with ‘water elements’ which means clarity and transparency, has enabled Honda Malaysia to set its pace by unveiling another challenging year to debut Beyond Limits Media Gathering 2009 at Luna Bar, Wisma PanGlobal.

Speaking at the momentous event, Mr. Atsushi Fujimoto, Managing Director & CEO of  Honda Malaysia, said, “Last year, Honda has had a pleasant year by recording a total sales of 32,466 units (slightly below the targeted 33,000 units), facing with global financial crisis, we still manage to achieve an annual growth of 14%…”. Mr. Atsushi also added, “though this year’s uncertain economic climate, Honda remain firm and confident to achieve sales of 35,000 units”. Also present at event were, Mr. Azman Idris, Chief Operating Officer of Honda Malaysia Sendirian Berhad and Miss Andrea Fonseka, MC for the night.

Looking back at its 2008’s launch, the All-New-Accord (launched in April 2008), a sophisticated performance luxury sedan that comes with advanced technology, has received Autocar Asean Car of the Year Awards 2008 for Large Sedan Category and Asian Auto-VCA Auto Industry Awards 2008 for Best Local Assembly Luxury Sedan, managed to sell 7310 units (52% beyond its initial target of 4800 units); the All-New Jazz (which was launched in August 2008), the premium 5-door compact hatchback with class-leading performance, space and style, has registered a total sales of 870 units, has received accolades like Autocar Asean Car of the Year Awards 2008 for Compact Sedan/Hatchback Category and New Straits Times/Maybank Car of the Year 2008  Awards for Premium Small Car; the All-New City that comes with dynamic stylish design, class-leading performance, and ingenious practicality as well as value-for-money of a modern car has received booking of more than 4,500 units, 3 weeks after its debuts.

On the other hand, despite its annual busy schedule, Honda has done its part in giving back to the society in its Corporate Social Responsibility program, such as, organising Honda Dreams Fund Year 2 - a non-binding full scholarship for eligible underprivileged youth based on their dreams, Rhino Rescue Project in its 3rd Year-a project that enhanced environment conservation in collaboration with WWF, signing MOU with Road Safety Department that allows Honda Malaysia stands out to become the first non-national car manufacturer in its commitment to support the government move for safer road, safer cars and safer drivers in Malaysia and lastly the launch of ASIMO – Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility, the world’s first humanoid robot that has inspired all Malaysian to reach for their dreams.

The Malaysian Chapter Winners Will Table its Solutions in Solving Global’s Critical Issues at UN GAID GYF

Finally Malaysia will have its representatives at the United Nations Global Alliance for ICT Development Global Youth Forum (UN GAID GYF) in Armenia from 21 – 24 October, to layout one or incorporate all of the eight United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in a written document, a 3 to 5 minutes video or a prototype to furnish and elaborate the proper strategies, plans and best solutions in tackling global’s most critical issues, where our earth is currently facing. The winners that will represent Malaysia to Armenia are, Janene Wong Ling Ern, Allen Lee Chern Wern, Aravindan a/l Sheridoman, Shahrizal bin Suboh, Siti Aishah binti Othman and Lai Sem Min. Also present at the event were, Guest of Honor, Mr. M Vimalan a/l Muthupandian, Principal Assistant Secretary, Ministry of Youth and Sports Malaysia, Mr.Kenneth Chin, Organizing Chairman of AYA Dream Malaysia Awards and Mr Johan Farid Khairuddin, UN GAID Global Youth Forum Representative .

In line with Malaysian government’s goals inculcated in Ninth Malaysia Plan as well as commitment to investing in nurturing, mentoring and developing various youth-oriented programmes that elevate their talents to a higher plateau, this project in its second consecutive year, is one of the numerous projects undertaken by ASTRO in championing the youth development campaign.

With the endorsement from Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Mr. Khairul Mizan, Channel Manager of Astro Ria, has pointed out, “Our goal is to cultivate a youth community of future thought leaders”. Mr Khairul added “We want to encourage more Malaysian youths in adopting a proactive approach to solving global problems in the spirit of selfless humility – and make the world a better place for future generations.”

The winning entries were selected based on the viability of the idea, creative use of ICT,the potential for commercialisation, and the proposed solution’s compatibility with at least one or all of the eight MDGs. All the representatives will be given an all-expenses paid trip to participate and showcase their work at the 2008 UN GAID Global Youth Forum, Armenia.

F & N Out-Do Yourself Award Launched to Recognise Outstanding Achievements

F&N (Fraser & Neave), the largest canned milk producer in South East Asia and also a manufacturer of soft drinks, dairies, non-carbonated beverages as well as glass containers, has launched the “F&N Out-Do Yourself Award” (OYA) in conjunction with its 125th Anniversary to recognize individuals who rise above the call of duty to perform standout deeds ranging from bravery, chivalry, promoting nation building to outstanding sports, academic or business performance.

In line with government’s call for corporate social responsibility (CSR), F&N has “outdo itself” by announcing the topping up of an additional RM1.25 million towards its Chairman’s Award, which recognizes outstanding academic performance of the children of F&N employees. This year, the Special Award was presented to Dhanaraj a/l Thuraisamy who obtained 14 As in Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia 2007 (13 A1 & 1 A2). Present at the event were, F&N patron, Domestic and Consumer affairs Minister YB Dato’ Shahrir Abdul Samad, F&N Holdings Bhd Chairman Tengku Syed Badarudin Jamallail and F&N Holdings Bhd CEO Mr. Tan Ang Meng.

Kenny Rogers ROASTERS’ Running Chicken Returns To Bring A Smile To Children

The Roasters Chicken Run 08 for Charity is back again with a bang and this charitable cause has been running for fourth consecutive year, following three previous successful runs, Kenny Rogers ROASTERS have raised more than RM100,000 to benefit Tabung Kebajikan Pesakit HUKM, Pediatric Unit HUKM (Oncology) and Unit Tutur, a centre that assists hearing impaired children. Present at the momentous occasion were, Dato‘ Francis Lee, Executive Director of Berjaya Roasters (M) Sdn. Bhd, and Miss Christina Tiang from the Ministry of Youth & Sports.

The ROASTERS Chicken Run is aimed at promoting a healthy lifestyle with the message “Its fun to be healthy”. The charity run is co-organised by Desa Water Park, Rakan Muda from the Ministry of Youth and Sports with supporting partners, Berjaya Air, Berjaya Hotels & Resorts, Cosmo’s World Theme Park, Milo, SilverBird and VeGood.

The ROASTERS Chicken Run has gathered more than 1600 runners with more than 800 underprivileged children from Rumah Juara, Rumah Kanak-Kanak Tengku Budriah, Rumah Sayangan, Rumah Hope, Rumah Kebajikan Anbu Illam, Rumah Charis, Ti-Ratana Welfare Society, Yayasan Sunbeam Home, Pusat Anak-Anak Yatim Wawasan and Faith, Hope, Love Home.

The much anticipated ROASTERS Chicken Run involves completing a distance of a about 4.8km within the vicinity of Desa Water Park. This year, contestants need to balance an egg on a cone during the race and those who finished the race without dropping the egg stands the chance to win prizes.

The run was divided into 5 major categories – men (age 19 and above), women (age 19 and above) and children from various charity homes which are divided into adolescents (age 13 to 18), children (age10-12) and juniors (age7-9).

Winners of the ROASTERS Chicken Run walked away with medals, holiday trips to various Berjaya Hotels & Resorts, Desa WaterPark entrance tickets and Kenny Rogers ROASTERS meal vouchers. After a much rigorous race, participants were given mouth-watering Kenny Rogers ROASTERS Chicken free meal, dance performance by Rakan Muda of Gombak and Republic of Klang, a ball juggling from “Ronaldinho” of Malaysia and a clown performance.

For more information on Kenny Rogers ROASTERS, visit www.krr.com.my

Mercedes-Benz Malaysia Red Ribbon Media Awards & Dr. Siti Hasmah Award 2008

The Mercedes-Benz Red Ribbon Media Awards is back again for the 3rd time and this year it wil be giving out awards to the writers, reporters, journalists, performers and artistes, in recognition of journalistic and creative excellence relating to HIV/AIDS in respective fields.

The Award was first introduced in Malaysia by the Malaysian AIDS Foundation in 1996, to serve as a platform to acknowledge and honour the vital role played by the media in HIV/AIDS education.

The awards are presented in three categories- the print, broadcasting and non-traditional (internet and the performing and visual arts) media and covers articles, advertisements or public announcements. All work submitted will be judged for its ability to convey clear and accurate information and to destigmatise HIV/AIDS. Originality, creativity and execution are also important. All works submitted must appear in Malaysia and entrants must be citizens or residents of Malaysia.

Winners from each category will receive a specially designed award sponsored by Mercedes-Benz Malaysia as well as a cash prize of RM2,500 and a Certificate of Excellence which will be presented on October 25, 2008 at Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur, in conjunction with Red Ribbon Gala. Deadline for entries is July 8, 2008.

Meanwhile, The Malaysian AIDS Foundation is also holding its biennial Dr. Siti Hasmah Award in recognition of outstanding contributions and individuals in addressing HIV/AIDS in Malaysia. This Award is meant to celebrate and encourage more organisations and individuals to be proactive, creative and committed in their response to HIV/AIDS.

The MAF welcomes nominations for organisations or individuals whose efforts and/or contributions like raising awareness of HIV/AIDS issues, works in preventing the spread of HIV, support people living with HIV/AIDS (including treatment and care programmes), involvement with community, local or national efforts to counter HIV/AIDS that help alleviate the impact of epidemic and recognising the importance of vulnerable groups such as children, youth and women.

The award is given to contributions made between March 1, 2006 and February 29, 2008. Nominees must be a Malaysian citizen or organizationbased in Malaysia.

The winner will receive a specially designed trophy, sponsored by Mondial, cash prze of RM10,000 (organisation) and RM5000 (individual) and a Certificate of Excellence. Prize Presentation will be on October 25, 2008 at the Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur, in conjunction with the Red Ribbon Gala. Deadline for nominations is on June 30, 2008.

UMW Toyota Motor Launches Traffic Heroes Club for School Children in Malaysia

UMW Toyota Motor has officially introduced Malaysia’s first ever National level road safety club – The Traffic Heroes Club at Le Meridien Hotel, Kuala Lumpur. This Traffic Heroes Club (THC) is part of UMW Toyota initiatives programme to provide annual Road Safety Programme (RSP), where it is one of UMW Toyota Motor’s three Corporate Social Responsibility pillars encompassing the road safety, environment and philanthropy. The THC is a joint effort by UMW Toyota Motor, Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Education to cultivate road safety awareness and encourage primary school students to display and apply their knowledge learned in the school road safety curriculum.

According to, Mr. Kuah Kock Heng, UMW Toyota Motor’s Managing Director, “this club will work with road safety clubs in schools to provide school children opportunities to learn about the importance of road safety. This initiative , aims to support the government’s efforts in reducing the number of road accidents and fatalities”. Mr. Kuah also added that these children who had undergone the road safety programme, had the potential to be Road Safety Ambassadors to their families and friends.

The Guest of Honour, YB Datuk Ong Tee Keat, the Minister Transport of Malaysia, mentioned that “Under the Malaysia Road Safety Plan, nine strategies are outlined. One of it, is educating youth on road safety, starting with primary school children to practice safe traffic habits, in hope to inculcate them the awareness of road safety.

Also present at the launch of Traffic Heroes Club were, Mr. Takashi Hibi, Deputy Chairman of UMW Toyota Motor Sdn. Bhd, Tuan Haji Mohd. Anuar Abdul Hamid, Principal Assistant Director of School Division Ministry of Education and Datuk Suret Singh, Director General of Road Safety Deparment.

UMW Toyota Motor’s commitment to CSR has been an integral part of its corporate culture since it was established in 1982. Its Corporate Social Responsibility approach is consonant with its philosophy of ‘ A history of service to society’ where UMW Toyota Motor continually seeks opportunities to contribute to the communities.

For more information on Road Safety Programme, log on to www.toyota.com.my

Guardian Host It’s Annual Charity Walkathon

Guardian established its first pharmacy 41 years ago and is now the leading and largest pharmacy, health and beauty store in Malaysia as well as in Asia Pacific, has organized its Annual Charity Walkathon to create health awareness and raise charity funds for the National Stroke Association of Malaysia (NASAM) at Sunway Lagoon Theme Park recently.

The 3km walk was flagged off by the Selangor State Health Department Deputy Director, Dr Rahimah Mohd Ariffin and Guardian’s Chief Operating Officer, Miss Loi Liang Tok from the Sunway Lagoon Auditorium.Miss Loi in her speech, said that the Walkathon has raised funds to support NASAM’s programs for stroke patients and their families for the past four years. This year itself, the walkathon has raised RM12,000, bringing Guardian’s total contribution to NASAM of up to RM50,000 over a period of four years. A special route was made available for the NASAM 40 stroke patients to ensure that they can be participants of the event.

The Charity Walkathon is an annual event with prizes amounting to more than RM3000 up for grabs, and it is aimed to highlight the importance of healthy and balance lifestyle in addition to raising funds for a worthy cause. The number of participants for this year has increased to 1500 compared to last year. The participants of Walkathon were given a treat of Shanghai Acrobatic Show, a host of fun family activities like Chinese Calligraphy, antics of balloon sculpting clown, face painting and special appearance of Guardian Brand Ambassadors – “3R”.