Sime Darby Oils (SDO) has announced that their ALIF cooking oil will serve as a sponsor for Liga Malaysia, marking the first time a major cooking oil brand has partnered with the country’s main sport. Mohd Haris Mohd Arshad, Managing Director of SDO, signed a co-sponsorship agreement with Malaysian Football League (MFL) until 2022.
SDO also unveiled the brand-new ‘ALIF Cooking Oil Fortified with Vitamin D3’ in tandem with the special announcement made during a ‘buka puasa’ event attended by MFL’s President, Dato Ab Ghani Hassan, and MFL Chief Executive Officer, Stuart Ramalingam. This is consistent with the company’s commitment to providing high-quality products to Malaysian customers.
According to Mohd Haris Mohd Arshad, it made perfect sense for the country’s finest sustainably produced cooking oil to sponsor Malaysia’s favourite sport and share the goodness of ALIF with more Malaysian consumers.
“The ALIF brand represents the very best features of sustainably produced Malaysian palm oil. We believe ALIF’s quality as a product will resonate strongly with more local football fans in general, beyond our key consumer segment of Malaysian women. We are excited to be partnering with the Malaysian Football League and to reach out to the diverse audience of Malaysian football,” Mohd Haris said.
In a joint statement made by SDO and Liga Malaysia, the league has an estimated 21 million fans nationwide in which 40% of whom are female fans, 350 games in a season, over 1.6 million attendances in stadiums and over 7.5 million digital followers.
In collaboration with trade partners, SDO has scheduled a number of engagements and lifestyle-related activities at stadium venues and retail locations. This involves collaborative activities with well-known football personalities and their existing fan bases in every state throughout the country.
“Football season is going to be back with a vengeance, especially after the enforced lull during the pandemic. We aim to further add to the thrill of this great sporting event with wide-ranging activities that will bring ALIF, Malaysian football stars, and their fans closer together,” added Mohd Haris.
Stuart Ramalingam, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the MFL, stated that ALIF is an exciting addition to the local football scene since its presence sends a strong positive message that the local football league has a distinct attraction.
“Representing the MFL President Dato’ Ab Ghani Hassan, the Board of Directors and the football community, we are proud to welcome one of our own top local brands ALIF Cooking Oil, to the 2022 Malaysia League family.
“ALIF’s partnership with MFL signals another positive enlistment of a new top local brand valuing and supporting the local football industry as a platform that can uplift its brand and awareness. Coming out of the pandemic, we thank SDO for their belief in us and we will do our best to ensure we provide Alif Cooking Oil with a great football experience.”
According to Mohd Haris, the launch of the new ALIF Cooking Oil Fortified with Vitamin D3 comes at an ideal time, particularly as the public becomes more health-conscious as a result of the epidemic. The frying oil contains Vitamin D3, which helps to strengthen the immune system. ALIF Cooking Oil Fortified with Vitamin D3 will be sold in all major retail shops beginning in May 2022, in retail packs of 5kg, 3kg, 2kg, and 1kg bottles.