A total of 3,500 individuals from 662 B40 families in the hard-hit areas of Sook, Keningau (Sabah) and the Klang Valley are receiving supplies of household essentials worth RM165,500 to tide them through the next two months as they fight to survive the effects of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

The aid comprises a total of RM101,500 from OCBC Bank (Malaysia) Berhad and its CEO Dato’ Ong Eng Bin, and another RM64,000 from Kim Loong Resources Berhad earmarked specifically for Sabah where it has operations and long been a community partner.

Both OCBC Bank and Kim Loong Resources have also committed to providing additional funds next year based on feedback from the ground.

According to local NGO Women of Will (WOW), which is spearheading the effort and has been working with the communities for several years now, the unprecedented Covid-19 support through the two organisations will ensure those who have been hardest hit are not left behind in their time of need.

A total of 1,900 individuals in the Klang Valley and 1,600 in Keningau are set to benefit from this exercise.

In the Klang Valley, these include individuals from hard-hit Projek Perumahan Rakyat (PPRs) in areas like Ukay Indah, Ampang, Batu Muda, Sentul, Cheras, Keramat Pangsa, Lembah Subang, PJ, Jinjang, Seri Alam, Batu Muda, Sentul and Batu Caves.

In Keningau, the beneficiaries are from Tulid, Maatol, Mototou, Kebulu, Alab Lanas, Kuit, Lanas Stesen, Pinipi, Kilo, Mampisas, Bunang Ulu, Seri Menanti, Lalapakon, Menggarimot and Mansiat.

Speaking for WOW, President Datin Wira Goh Suet Lan said the essential items delivered to the households beginning last week include rice, cooking oil, flour, sugar, milk powder, milk creamer, Milo, tea, biscuits, groundnuts, dried chili, red onions, garlic, potatoes, eggs, sardines, soap and detergent.

“It takes an average of about RM250 to get a household in these areas through two months. Since we do not see the pandemic going away very soon, we are preparing well in advance, and companies like OCBC Bank and Kim Loong Resources are true partners in time of need for making this possible. Hopefully, the affected communities will be able to return to independence and self-sufficiency after this time. That remains the vision of WOW as our end-goal is always for communities to become self-sufficient rather than dependent on others. That is at the heart of our programme. However, these are unprecedented times needing extraordinary efforts to ensure the survival of the communities,” Datin Wira Goh said.

Dato’ Ong added: “When we at OCBC Bank noticed how badly hit these communities are, we decided that some forward planning would be necessary since the months can pass very quickly and the lack of aid can have devastating effects; we cannot underestimate the impact of Covid-19. While we have initially committed ourselves to this two-month support programme, we have also made it clear to WOW that we will come in for a further two-month support after this if the situation warrants.”

Kim Loong Resources Executive Chairman Mr Gooi Seong Lim said: “Kim Loong Group has always placed great emphasis on enhancing living conditions of the communities where it operates and when we were informed of the devasting impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on these communities, we decided to participate in this programme to help the hard-hit communities in Keningau, Sabah.”