Welcoming Speech by:
Y.A.M. Tunku Tan Sri Imran, YSD Chairman

Assalamualaikum, and a very good morning.

1. Welcome everyone! I am especially pleased to see all our volunteers from SD Guthrie Berhad, Sime Darby Berhad, and Sime Darby Property Berhad gathered here today, whose efforts we are honouring at this event. This year’s Volunteer Awards Ceremony coincides with our 61st Malaysia Day, and is themed “Volunteer for A Better Malaysia”, which is in line with our commitment to community service and environment conservation, demonstrated through YSD’s initiatives with our volunteers across the country.

2. Our 2 flagship employee volunteering programmes, “YSD Huluran Kasih” and “YSD Eco Citizen”, have resulted in substantial outcomes:

    

   a) Since 2018, “YSD Huluran Kasih” has mobilised over 6,100 volunteers who contributed over 55,800 hours, across 378 initiatives in collaboration with 82 organisations. Key initiatives include disaster relief, back-to-school contributions, community urban farming, and other community assistance programmes.

    

   b) Since its launch in 2022, “YSD Eco Citizen” has engaged 786 volunteers who dedicated more than 4,300 hours to 11 environment conservation initiatives - which include mangrove planting with all 3 donor companies, tree geotagging with SD Guthrie, and the WanderLab Explorer programme with Sime Darby Property.

    

3. The YSD Volunteer Award Ceremony this year also marks significant progress with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Department of Social Welfare (or “JKM”) of the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development; to strengthen disaster preparedness skills among all our volunteers. Building on YSD’s contributions totalling RM22.9 million in disaster relief and emergency aid thus far, this partnership will further equip our capacity to support more communities better during natural disasters in the future.
4. Our initial collaboration with JKM was in 2022 to mobilise immediate flood relief assistance. Since then, over 11,000 individuals across Sabah, Kelantan, Terengganu, and Johor have received nearly RM1.4 million in aid from YSD in collaboration with JKM - all made possible with our volunteers’ hard work on the field.
5. With today’s MoU signing with JKM, we are set to improve how we prepare for and respond to community needs during disasters. This partnership will enable us to boost our volunteer capabilities through training and expert support from JKM, to mobilise resources more swiftly and efficiently. This ongoing partnership with JKM will ensure that our employee volunteers are adequately skilled and prepared, while being duly recognised as crucial contributors to national welfare.
6. While I have not been physically present for every initiative, the stories that reach me are always heartwarming, reminding me of the impact we are capable of when we come together for a common purpose. This year, we had already been busy on the ground with our volunteers in providing urgent assistance to victims of the natural disaster recently in Slim. As we head further into the flood season, our willingness to step forward and our preparedness will help communities recover from calamities and even save lives.
7. Ladies and gentlemen, Volunteerism is not only prevalent during disasters. I would like to share with you an example of the diverse forms of volunteerism available with YSD’s work on Tioman Island. Our volunteers had engaged in direct conservation actions such as beach cleanups, coral planting, and the preparation of coral blocks and recycling bins. They also participated in advocacy, environmental impact assessments, and community outreach. Aside from this, our volunteers also played a critical role in contributing to the halting the new international airport project. These efforts were key to protecting the island’s ecological integrity and shielding its community from potential environmental devastation. YSD’s volunteering programmes often extend beyond physical labour to include strategic, community-oriented activities, each essential for achieving our conservation and sustainability goals. This is volunteerism in action, where passion meets purpose.
8. Each of you today has contributed something unique and vital to our collective goals across our five pillars of Education, Environment, Community & Health, Sports, and Arts & Culture. While we shall soon be giving out awards and recognitions to certain individuals and teams for their exceptional contributions, I wish to express my gratitude to each and every one of you for your commitment, sacrifice, and efforts.
9. Thank you to SD Guthrie, Sime Darby, and Sime Darby Property for all your support, and for making all our initiatives possible. For everyone’s information, YSD’s employee volunteer programmes also complement the CSR policies of our donor companies, that allow employees to take leave or time off to volunteer to give back to society.
10. Our mission continues, and so does our need for passionate volunteers. Whether it is participating in environmental conservation efforts or supporting community welfare, there is a role for everyone here. My heartiest congratulations to all award winners today! And to each and every volunteer here - please know that you have truly made a difference. I believe that volunteers do not necessarily have the time, they just have the heart.
11. May Allah bless all our sincere volunteering efforts, for a better Malaysia.

Thank you.