A total of 1,025 OCBC Bank (Malaysia) Berhad (OCBC Bank) and OCBC Al-Amin Bank Berhad (OCBC Al-Amin) (collectively, OCBC Malaysia) staff and their family members have raised RM100,000 from among themselves to support World Vision Malaysia’s efforts to fight child violence globally.

The partnership, into its sixth year, saw participants contributing RM70 or more each to take part in the OCBC-World Vision Run For Children held at KL Car Free Morning at Dataran DBKL. The event, flagged off at 7am, saw several thousand others converge as well at the venue to support the cause. OCBC Malaysia is the main sponsor for both KL Car Free Morning and World Vision Run For Children.

According to World Vision Malaysia CEO Ms Terry Leong, the meaningful tie up with OCBC Malaysia began six years ago and was once again helpful for raising awareness about violence against children as advocated by the Run For Children event this year.

“Today, danger comes in many forms – conflict, climate change, natural disasters. Children are tramautised by these events and often have no safe homes to return to. But even in ‘safe’ places like homes and schools, dangers like violence and abuse are present, often from people who should be protecting them. That is why it is so important for us to protect children and empower them to protect themselves. We are grateful to OCBC Malaysia and their employees who recognise the importance of this, and we look forward to many more years of partnership,” she said.

Led by OCBC Bank CEO Mr Tan Chor Sen, the initiative is part of the overarching World Vision 2024 Run For Children effort that is held nationwide and is premised on every child’s right to grow and thrive in a safe environment, free from violence and harm. The effort will help to support vulnerable children from the communities World Vision serves in. Funds raised will go to World Vision’s Advocacy Fund, in supporting its global child protection efforts.

All set to run for the children. (L-R) World Vision Malaysia CEO Ms Terry Leong (third from left, wearing glasses/raising hand); En Naquib bin Hamdan, Director of Culture, Arts, Tourism and Sports, DBKL (right of Ms Leong); and OCBC Bank (Malaysia) Berhad CEO Mr Tan Chor Sen (right of En Naquib) getting set with the participants to run for the children at the OCBC-World Vision Run For Children held at KL Car Free Morning at Dataran DBKL. Second from right is Dato’ Ong Eng Bin, immediate past CEO of OCBC Bank (Malaysia) Berhad who graced the event as well.

According to OCBC Bank CEO Mr Tan Chor Sen, the partnership with World Vision is key to advocating the fight against child violence and advocating the rights for children.

“I am pleased that, once again, we were able to come together to do our part to advocate the protection of the rights of the children around us who often suffer unnoticed. We hope that through this effort, we will be able to collectively create a safer environment for those who are unable to protect themselves. It was great to see more than a thousand of my OCBC Malaysia colleagues and their family members coming together for Run For Children, holding the torch in the fight against child violence,” he said.

According to the World Health Organization, every year, approximately one billion children – half of the world’s children – experience some form of violence. South Asia has a high incidence of violence against children, with several countries such as Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka showing alarming rates of child marriage, labour, and abuse.