In conjunction with its 10^th year of collaborating with IDEAS Autism Centre, OCBC Al-Amin Bank Berhad (OCBC Al-Amin), through its staff, raised RM50,500 for the care of 100 autistic children. All this, while promoting awareness of autism among the community through its annual Walk for Autism at the KL Car-Free Morning recently.

The staff of OCBC Al-Amin who walked, ran or cycled for three kilometres, were joined by family and friends for the good cause.

The funds raised will be used to provide high-quality care and education for autistic children, equipping them with the necessary tools to lead fulfilling lives.

As part of its fundraising initiative and to commemorate the 10 years of partnership, OCBC Al-Amin had earlier hosted an Autism Day x Prihatin Fest event to raise awareness on autism among its staff where Founding President and Chairman of IDEAS Autism Centre, Tunku Zain Al-'Abidin ibni Tuanku Muhriz and several other shared about their efforts.

According to OCBC Al-Amin Chief Executive Officer Tuan Syed Abdull Aziz Syed Kechik, the bank was pleased to be working alongside IDEAS Autism Centre to promote awareness of autism for a decade now, a significant milestone.

“Our aspiration to be Asia’s leading financial services partner for a sustainable future extends beyond our customers. We want to be the bank that enables the communities around us to realise their aspirations as well.

“OCBC Al-Amin serves the communities in which it operates nationwide through the three pillars of the #OCBCCares platform: education, environment and healthcare. The focus of the collaboration with IDEAS Autism Centre falls under the Education pillar of our Aided to Aspire programme. As part of the initiative, we walked together with the families of the autistic children. And my staff and I were humbled by each step we took, bearing in mind how every Ringgit raised would contribute to improving lives. The significant rise in registered autism cases in Malaysia emphasises the critical need for early intervention, which IDEAS Autism Centre provides.

“Importantly, the event also celebrated the unique creativity and potential of individuals with autism, reminding us of the value they bring to our diverse society. Overall, it reinforced our commitment to advocating for and supporting this meaningful cause,” he said.

IDEAS Autism Centre offers comprehensive early intervention, care, therapy, and education for autistic children from low-income families (the bottom 40 percent), enabling them to attend mainstream government schools by the ages of seven to nine.

According to Tunku Zain Al-'Abidin, the support from OCBC Al-Amin has been a blessing.

“We continue to be blessed by this kindness and support from OCBC Al-Amin. It takes effort and dedication to not just raise the funds but also foster camaraderie at these annual walks. We would like to thank the OCBC Al-Amin staff for their ardent care. The Bank’s generous contribution of RM50,500 in this the 10th anniversary has not only uplifted our event but also reinforced our belief in the potential of every child.

“We continue to need assistance and funding to provide quality care and education for our autistic children. This is a meaningful partnership that we hope will continue to serve to ensure autistic children and adults are able to better integrate into the wider society,” he said.

Other programmes under the #OCBCCares platform are Plate to Plant (environment, relating mainly to food composting), Sun to Save (environment, involving installation of solar panels on the roofs of charity homes, schools, hospitals, and other facilities), and Equipped to Enable (healthcare, relating mainly to hospital equipment and devices).

OCBC Al-Amin is the Islamic banking subsidiary of OCBC Bank (Malaysia) Berhad.