[FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE]

Media Kit link: bit.ly/ek-aseancares-2020-mediakit

23 November 2020, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – With the mission of aiding 1,700 at-risk individuals in Malaysia, EcoKnights distributed 300 food supply and hygiene kits to the Desa Temuan Bukit Lanjan community in Petaling Jaya, Selangor on 18 and 21 November consecutively, through the Project BUMI: Meet the Needs initiative under ASEAN CARES.

Sponsored by 3M, and supported by the United Way Worldwide and ASEAN Foundation, ASEAN CARES is a programme that aims to help deserving and under-represented communities facing food security and hygiene crises in Malaysia and Thailand with the support of United Way Worldwide and ASEAN Foundation.

As one of the local CSOs appointed to implement ASEAN CARES within Malaysia, the youth-led non-governmental environmental organization, EcoKnights, embark on its first humanitarian aid within the Selangor region – targeting to cover four other Malaysian states, Pahang, Johor, Sabah and Kuala Lumpur next.

The event distribution at Bukit Lanjan today was attended by the small group of EcoKnights team and volunteers as well as the community and family representatives of Desa Temuan, strictly abiding to the COVID-19 SOPs. The 300 food supplies and hygiene kits distributed will be further delegated to 300 individuals living within the community.

“From today’s [18 Nov] engagement, we could see first-hand the situation with the affected communities. Witnessing the parents who came up to us and expressed their gratitude, and the kids who excitedly participated in the hand-washing demonstration has been a very humbling experience and has made us very grateful to be part of this humanitarian program,” said Fadly Bakhtiar, Programme Director of EcoKnights during his involvement today

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. Additionally, we are glad to partner with ASEAN Foundation, United Way Worldwide and EcoKnights to make this program a success,” said Mr. GT. Lim, Country Leader of 3M Malaysia.

This shall not be the first time that the local NGO EcoKnights joined forces with program partner, 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. Through this program, we seek to engage multinational societies and local communities to work together in delivering a large-scale COVID-19 relief aid to those in desperate needs and marginalised groups. Through this initiative, we hope that private and public sectors will join hand to reduce the suffering of the people impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.” Executive Director of ASEAN Foundation, Dr. Yang Mee Eng said.

During today’s [18 Nov] distribution at Bukit Lanjan, the EcoKnights volunteers also conducted a quick and interactive demonstration to the Temuan community on the health and safety tips to be adhered during a pandemic, including washing hands and the proper way of wearing masks, as outlined by the Malaysian Health Ministry and World Health Organization (WHO).

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.”

“ASEAN CARES in particular is a very great program for the community as EcoKnights provide us hands-on guidance and training sessions that highlights the health measures to combat COVID-19,” expressed Ustad Rosli, community representative of Desa Temuan Bukit Lanjan. 

The Training of Trainers component under Project BUMI: Meet the Needs by EcoKnights is designed to enhance community awareness on health and safety rules. The hand-washing and wearing of face mask demonstration is greatly beneficial to be emulated especially during a global outbreak.

“Beyond giving the food supply and personal hygiene kits, the hand-washing demonstration (Training of Trainer) is vital as it can provide greater awareness and practical approach to continue and reduce the possibility of a widespread disease,” added Fadly Bakhtiar.

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.

Notes to Editor:

1. Due to COVID-19, EcoKnights distributed the 300 food supply and hygiene kits to the Temuan community at Bukit Lanjan on two separate days – 25 representatives were present to receive the first distribution on 18 November, which were then further divided and distributed to the rest of the community on 21 November.
2. The next distribution will be in December 2020 – targeting the area of Johor, Pahang, Sabah, and Kuala Lumpur.

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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. 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.

About Project BUMI: Meet the Needs

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