Staying true to its core value of giving back to the communities it operates in, McDonald’s Malaysia today announced a contribution of RM594,800 to the underprivileged in Terengganu through its Community Programme. The Community Programme is an annual initiative by McDonald’s Malaysia in helping the underprivileged community through various initiatives as part of its corporate social responsibility efforts.
Among the community initiatives presented under the Terengganu state-level Community Programme include McDonald’s business zakat contribution, appointment of youths from the underprivileged community to participate in the McDonald’s NTDS training programme, and presentation of “Back-to-School” packs to primary school children from urban poor and underprivileged families.
“We place a lot of emphasis on the welfare and well-being of the community. As a global company with a strong reputation in Malaysia, we want to create a positive impact to the community, particularly within the locations where we operate at,” said Azmir Jaafar, Managing Director and Local Operating Partner of McDonald’s Malaysia.
“The support of various parties in assisting the state government in shouldering social responsibilities while carrying out efforts to improve the quality of life of the rakyat is very important. This allows every member of the community, especially those who are underprivileged to receive proper assistance to live a better life. We welcome and commend public-private partnerships, as carried out by McDonald’s Malaysia through its Community Programme,” said Dato’ Seri Dr. Ahmad Samsuri.
McDonald’s Malaysia’s business zakat contribution
McDonald’s Malaysia fulfilled its zakat obligation to the state of Terengganu for the year 2019, contributing a total of RM101,000.
McDonald’s Malaysia recently received the Corporate Zakat Contribution Certificate by Pusat Pungutan Zakat Majlis Agama Islam Wilayah Persekutuan (PPZ-MAIWP), and is in fact the first business to receive this recognition.
“As a business entity that is 100 percent owned by Muslims, it is a religious commitment for us to pay
zakat to be distributed to those in need. We have been contributing zakat since 2017 under Lionhorn Pte Ltd, a unit of Reza Group,” said Azmir.
McDonald’s youth employment initiative through NDTS
McDonald’s National Dual Training System (NDTS) is an 18-month industry-oriented training programme which combines 70 percent of practical training in McDonald’s restaurants and 30 percent of theoretical lessons in the classroom.
This fully-sponsored programme is accredited by the Department of Skills Development (DSD) – one of the efforts by the quick-service restaurant to elevate the standards of the company’s human capital development, and nurture new talents, in line with the national agenda.
“We are excited to welcome youths from the state of Terengganu to participate in our training programme. We hope that through this programme, the selected individuals will learn the necessary skills to thrive and embark on promising careers that will help enhance the economic status of their families,” said Azmir.
The NDTS programme is part of the McDonald’s Community Programme organised for youths from the underprivileged community. Once these trainees pass the assessment and final test of the programme, they will be qualified for employment at McDonald’s restaurants.
Each trainee will be given a monthly living allowance of RM1,200, medical and insurance benefits, as well as free meals.
“Back to School” Programme
More than 1,900 children from 65 schools throughout Terengganu will receive “Back-to-School” packs this year. The “Back-to-School” programme is an annual initiative led by McDonald’s Malaysia and its charity of choice, the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC), in collaboration with the Ministry of Education.
The “Back-to-School” 2019 programme, launched in Kuala Lumpur in mid-October, is the largest so far – with RM3 million raised in order for 30,000 primary school children from urban poor and underprivileged families to receive “Back-to School” packs ahead of the 2020 school year. The packs will be delivered in stages to other states in Malaysia until the end of the year.
Each “Back-to-School” pack, worth RM100, consists of a set of school uniform, a pair of shoes, a pair of socks, and a school bag.
In 2018, McDonald’s Malaysia and RMHC delivered “Back-to-School” packs worth RM1.7 million to 17,000 primary school students. The year before that saw McDonald’s Malaysia and RMHC reaching out to 6,000 students with RM1.2 million raised.
RMHC is McDonald’s Malaysia’s charity of choice that aims to help underprivileged children in Malaysia. To donate or volunteer for RMHC Malaysia, please contact the headquarters of RMHC Malaysia at 03-7843 3388 or visit https://rmhc-malaysia.my/get-involved/make-a-donation/.