[Note to Editor]

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – EcoKnights, with support from 3M, United Way Worldwide and ASEAN Foundation is on a mission to aid at-risk communities, especially the vulnerable groups in Malaysia who are severely impacted by COVID-19, through Project BUMI: Meet the Needs as part of the ASEAN CARES programme.

With an ambitious pursuit of reaching out to the underprivileged individuals in Malaysia and Thailand, a total funding of USD 160,000 from 3M has been pledged to support over 10,000 deserving communities in Malaysia and Thailand combined.

“It’s important that 3M holds true to its core values during this pandemic by supporting our communities and improving lives. The projects with United Way form part of a $20 million commitment made by 3M at a corporate level to support COVID-19 relief projects globally, and we’re grateful that some of this funding is helping the most vulnerable people in society impacted by the COVID-19 crisis in Malaysia during these exceptional times,” said Mr. GT. Lim, Country Leader of 3M Malaysia.   

United Way Worldwide International President, José Pedro Ferrão, commented: “On behalf of United Way Worldwide, I am pleased to partner with the EcoKnights, one of the ASEAN CARES partners, to help the community in Malaysia, hit hard by COVID-19. This pandemic is a new challenge for all of us, but I trust that we can respond to food-security issues and more by mobilizing community’s caring power together. We look forward to working with the EcoKnights and ASEAN Foundation to bring much-needed relief and long-term recovery to vulnerable communities in Malaysia.”

For the activation of the ASEAN CARES program in Malaysia, 3 local civil society organizations (CSO) were appointed, namely EcoKnights, Trees and the Lost Food Project. As one of the appointed local CSO from Malaysia, the youth-led non-governmental environmental organization, EcoKnights, is geared up to meet the needs of 1,700 underrepresented individuals in Malaysia, covering the region of Pahang, Selangor, Sabah, Kuala Lumpur, and Johor.

This shall not be the first time that the local NGO EcoKnights joined forces with ASEAN Foundation in a socially- and sustainability-driven action project, in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

“ASEAN CARES embodies the commitment voiced by ASEAN Leaders during the Special ASEAN Summit on COVID-19 and the Special ASEAN Plus Three Summit on COVID-19, which calls for of a coherent, multi-sectoral, multi-stakeholder and whole-of-ASEAN Community approach in combating the pandemic. We seek to engage all parties, from multinational society to local communities, to work together in delivering a large-scale COVID-19 relief aid to those in desperate needs and marginalise group  through this programme. Through this initiative, we hope that private and public sectors will join hand together to do our part to reduce the suffering of the people due to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic. ” Executive Director of ASEAN Foundation, Dr. Yang Mee Eng said.

ASEAN CARES aims to provide access to food and basic hygiene for vulnerable individuals and groups such as families with children, people with disabilities, women-headed households, elderlies, refugees, migrants as well as pregnant and lactating women.

The first food supply and hygiene kits distribution by the EcoKnights team and volunteers set off at Kampung Bukit Lanjan to over 20 representatives of the Temuan community (e.g., Head of family), to be further delivered to 170 families with children, and 130 deserving individuals inclusive of people with disabilities, the elderlies and lactating mothers.

Project BUMI is EcoKnights’ sustainability-driven project that aims to uplift underprivileged communities from poverty and empower them towards sustainable living. The goal is to ensure basic necessities are made available to all communities throughout the country. This includes a continuous supply of electricity, clean water and internet connection, alongside access to basic healthcare and education for the communities.

More information about Project BUMI: Meet the Needs humanitarian aid under ASEAN CARES is retrievable at this link: https://ecoknights.org.my/asean-cares/

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ABOUT ECOKNIGHTS®

EcoKnights® is a not-for-profit environmental organisation that provides and delivers development and environmental interventions to communities, government agencies, learning institutions, and companies to mobilise and catalyse the stakeholders towards sustainable development across trans- and interdisciplinary fields to build bridges towards achieving sustainable communities and companies across five main pillars.

The pillars are CSR and Partnership, Public Outreach, Community Development & Education (CDE), Rehabilitation, Restoration and Conservation (RRC) as well as Youth Development & Volunteerism (YDV), supported by Sustainability Communications. Each pillar helps to strengthen the legacy of EcoKnights as it empowers the Knights to ideate, create, run and organise meaningful projects to impart long-lasting sustainable and economic impact to the country. More information about EcoKnights is available on its official website at ecoknights.org.my

About 3M

At 3M, we apply science in collaborative ways to improve lives daily. With $32 billion in sales, our 96,000 employees connect with customers all around the world.

About United Way

United Way fights for the health, education and financial stability of every person in every community. Supported by 2.9 million volunteers, 8.1 million donors worldwide and $4.8 billion raised, United Way is the world’s largest privately funded non-profit. We’re engaged in nearly 1,800 communities across more than 40 countries and territories worldwide to create sustainable solutions to the challenges facing our communities. United Way partners include global, national and local businesses, non-profits, government, civic and faith-based organizations, along with educators, labour leaders, health providers, senior citizens, students and more. 

About the ASEAN Foundation

Three decades after ASEAN was established, ASEAN leaders recognised that: there remained inadequate shared prosperity, ASEAN awareness and contact among the people of ASEAN. It was of this concern that ASEAN leaders established ASEAN Foundation in Jakarta, Indonesia, at ASEAN’s 30th Anniversary Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 15 December 1997. The ASEAN Foundation is an organisation from and for the people of ASEAN. The Foundation exists because of one vision: to build a cohesive and prosperous ASEAN Community. As an ASEAN body, the Foundation is tasked to support ASEAN mainly in promoting awareness, identity, interaction and development of the people of ASEAN.

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*For media inquiries, you may contact Ms. Fara at fara@ecoknights.org.my or at 011-2321 0492