Sunway Group Commits RM34 Million to Combat COVID-19

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  • RM1 million donation to national COVID-19 fund and RM 300,000 contribution to Yayasan Kebajikan Negara to aid B40 beneficiaries nationwide
  • Sunway Healthcare to take in non-COVID-19 cases from MOH and UMMC hospitals; up to RM12 million to cover the cost of subsidising treatment for public patients; invests in equipment and apparatus
  • RM20 million worth of rent-free days to Sunway Malls’ non-essential retailers

Sunway Group announced a total commitment of more than RM34 million to help Malaysia combat COVID-19. The commitment is expected to support at least 40,000 beneficiaries in total.

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Malaysians are currently under a Movement Control Order (MCO), which came to force on 18th March, and was extended to 14th April 2020 by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to curb the spread of the highly-contagious respiratory disease.

Sunway Group founder and chairman Tan Sri Dr Jeffrey Cheah said that the aid is to help Malaysians who need it the most to tide over the difficult times.

“The impact of COVID-19 on larger businesses is universal. However, it is now important for us to pay attention to those who need it the most – COVID-19 patients who have lost their jobs because of the disease, the non-essential retailers who have had to shut down their businesses temporarily, our own employees who have been affected, and also our front-line healthcare staff comprising doctors and nurses as well as other employees within the Sunway healthcare division who are at risk while serving national interests.

“And not forgetting the B40 communities. As we always have done, we stand alongside Malaysians in these trying times. We are all in this together and we can overcome this crisis as a nation,” he said.

Tan Sri Dr Jeffrey Cheah has also been appointed by the Prime Minister of Malaysia to serve on the Economic Action Council (EAC) which is a special task force to find ways to stimulate the economy; and to come up with short and medium term plans to ensure economic growth. The EAC is also instrumental in taking additional necessary actions for the delivery of the nation’s Economic Stimulus Package in light of the COVID-19 outbreak.

RM1.3 million to ensure security of livelihoods for COVID-19 patients and b40 communities

Sunway Group has donated RM1 million to the government’s COVID-19 fund to minimise the burden of those who are directly affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, specifically unemployed COVID-19 patients and those under quarantine.

Alongside Yayasan Kebajikan Negara (YKN) among other collaborations, Sunway has also pledged RM300,000 to help the B40 communities whose livelihoods are at stake around Sunway townships throughout the nation.

More than RM12 million to support government healthcare institutions and professionals

 Sunway Healthcare Group has been in close contact with the Ministry of Health (MOH) and University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) to help decant their Non-COVID-19 cases so that the government facilities can focus on managing confirmed COVID-19 cases.

Sunway Healthcare Group will also be setting aside 100 beds across both Sunway Medical Centre and Sunway Medical Centre Velocity as well as a budget of up to RM12 million to cover the cost of subsidising treatment for these public patients from MOH and UMMC hospitals. This initiative is expected to benefit around 4,000 public patients. The working group discussion has now reached its final phase and both Sunway Medical Centre and Sunway Medical Centre Velocity will soon start to receive these public patients at existing government rates.

 In addition to the Public-Private Partnership with MOH and UMMC, Sunway Healthcare division has also invested heavily in essential equipment and apparatus to safeguard the health and safety of our staff and patients by ensuring a COVID-19 free environment within the hospitals. New additions to the hospitals include the extensive respiratory screening tents for identifying patients or visitors with COVID-19 symptoms, new thermal scanners, Powered Air Purifying Respirators (PAPR) and Negative Pressure Cabins. Such investments weighed heavily on the hospitals’ resources but were deemed critical to ensure the welfare of our doctors, nurses, patients and our communities.

 RM20 million to support non-essential retailers

 Earlier, Sunway’s retail division had moved to grant non-essential retailers who had to cease operations during the duration of the MCO rent-free days amounting to RM20 million. The malls are Sunway Pyramid, Sunway Velocity, Sunway Carnival, Sunway Putra, Sunway Big Box Retail Park, Sunway Giza and Sunway Citrine.

Sunway Pyramid, Sunway Carnival and Sunway Putra are owned by Sunway REIT, while the rest of the malls are owned and operated by Sunway Berhad.

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