KOTA KINABALU, 21 December 2020 – Yayasan PETRONAS, in collaboration with PETRONAS Dagangan Berhad (PDB), spreads the joy of Christmas to deserving members of the communities in Sabah and Labuan by distributing festive gifts, food supplies and personal hygiene care packages as part of its Sentuhan Kasih programme.

The distribution takes place from 18 to 23 December, targeting 400 beneficiaries in Sabah and 150 in Labuan which include children, elderly, physically challenged and single parent families.

The distribution for recipients in Kota Kinabalu and Penampang was made through the State Social Welfare Services Department.

For the other recipients, the items will be handed over directly to their respective charity homes, namely Rumah Kanak-Kanak Beringgis, Sri Pritchard Old Folks Home and Holy Family Residence for Senior Citizens in Papar; Jireh Home in Tuaran; and Taman Didikan Kanak-Kanak Kurang Upaya as well as Rumah Wargatua Sri Harapan in Sandakan.

Beneficiaries in Labuan, which comprise senior citizens and physically challenged, will receive their packages on 23 December.

Yayasan PETRONAS Chief Executive Officer Nelly Francis Shariah said: “The act of giving must continue so that good flourishes amidst challenging times.

“We may not be able to spread Christmas cheer with fun activities this year, but our team is committed to support the less fortunate communities by providing them basic necessities during this festive season.”

Nelly Francis

PETRONAS Dagangan Berhad Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Azrul Osman Rani also said: “We are glad that Yayasan PETRONAS gave us this opportunity to pay it forward by delivering these care packages to the less fortunate communities through our service.”

Head of PETRONAS Sabah and Labuan Rokiah Sulaiman said: “This programme is a continuation of PETRONAS’ tradition of reaching out to the lesrivileged members of the community during festive seasons. It also aims at nurturing and strengthening the spirit of volunteerism among our employees.”

The Sentuhan Kasih in conjunction with Christmas this year reaches out to 2,000 beneficiaries from Sabah, Johor, Kedah, Kuala Lumpur, Labuan, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Penang, Perak, Sarawak, and Selangor, with a total contribution worth RM220,000.

Each year, in conjunction with major celebrations in Malaysia, Yayasan PETRONAS offers underserved communities with items for their basic needs and well-being. In the past, activities including gotong royong and motivational talks would be carried out by volunteers.

The Sentuhan Kasih programme is part of Yayasan PETRONAS’ community well-being and development focus area. The programme is also in line with the PETRONAS Sustainability Agenda and the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals.