The 215 Commercial Banking staff of OCBC Bank (Malaysia) Berhad (OCBC Bank) recently dug deep into their pockets to raise RM100,000 to help five charity organisations across the country affected by the pandemic. The funds went toward a variety of causes ranging from provision of hospital equipment to online learning tools.

Students receiving the smart tablets in Johor Bahru

They were donated to Kechara Soup Kitchen (RM20,000), Dignity for Children Foundation (RM20,000), Mercy Malaysia (RM18,000), Rotary Club of Kota Kinabalu (RM27,000) and Rotary Club of Johor Bahru (RM15,000).

According to OCBC Bank Managing Director & Head of Corporate & Commercial Banking Mr Jeffrey Teoh, the Bank recognises that to meet the pressing needs of society, especially during a pandemic, everyone must chip in and be willing to look well beyond their own immediate settings.

OCBC staff handing over the High Flow Nasal Cannula to Hospital Likas in Sabah

“We looked out there and identified a number of causes that we felt could do with some financial help in carrying out their exemplary work, and decided to raise the funds ourselves. The causes are very different and span from Kota Kinabalu to Johor Bahru, indicative of the message that we are trying to send out – that we must go well beyond the people who are nearest to us,” he said.

The RM20,000 donation to Kechara Soup Kitchen will be used to purchase essential food items for 166 registered needy families, while a further RM20,000 will be used by Dignity for Children Foundation for their Empower-A-Classroom programme to help pay for students' education fees, grocery support, health and hygiene care, and sports and physical development.

The RM18,000 channelled through Mercy Malaysia will be used to treat high-risk Covid-19 patients at Hospital Sultan Ismail, with the funds being used mainly to purchase two Vital Sign Monitors.

The partnership with the two Rotary Clubs is for a combination of medical equipment and electronic devices for online learning during the pandemic. Rotary Club of Johor Bahru will use the RM15,000 to purchase electronic devices so 50 underprivileged students can access their online classes, while Rotary Club of Kota Kinabalu will arrange for the purchase of a High Flow Nasal Cannula (HFNC) costing RM27,000 for Hospital Likas Kota Kinabalu. The HFNC is a non-evasive ventilator that provides respiratory support to patients and reduces risk of requiring intubation and admission to the ICU.

“I would like to venture a word of thanks to all my OCBC Bank Commercial Banking colleagues for their relentlessness in raising the funds, not forgetting the ever-present help of our CEO Dato’ Ong Eng Bin who was quick to chip in a sizeable portion of the funds we managed to raise,” Mr Teoh said.