NEWS & UPDATES
Sarawak Energy launches Internal Drive to Assist Families of Cancer-Stricken Children
KUCHING, WEDNESDAY 2nd JULY, 2014: Sarawak Energy has launched an internal drive among its staff members to raise funds for the Sarawak Children's Cancer Society (SCCS).
In a bid to inculcate the charitable spirit of sharing within the company, the drive will see funds being gathered from all Sarawak Energy offices throughout the state in a span of two weeks.
Sarawak Energy Chief Executive Officer, Datuk Torstein Dale Sjotveit launched the campaign recently at a Leadership Conference, a program organized for all the leaders within the company.
Describing the campaign as heart-warming and worthwhile, Torstein said that sharing was a fundamental value of all individuals.
“We must ask ourselves are we sharing enough or are we merely working for our own interest? We need to be more open and caring in wanting to share with others and this should be reflected in the culture of our company.” “The ability to empathize with another will further push us to improve our services to our customers and the society as a whole to the best of our abilities,” he said.
Torstein also said that listening to the stories of cancer survivors and parents of cancer stricken children should inspire all staff members to continue their good work to propel Sarawak Energy to greater heights.
Torstein kick-started the donation drive by making a personal donation during a special segment in the Conference entitiled “Reaching Out, Touching Lives” delivered by Social Investment Manager, Joanne Tan（陈楚燕）.
The segment's objective was to promote good culture of sharing and volunteering at the workplace, as well as reaching out to help the community.
In the segment, there was a sharing session in which childhood cancer survivor Mohd Khairul Ridhwan bin Abdul Khalik spoke on his battle with the illness and how he was able to overcome it one day at a time with the support from SCCS. Also relating the ordeal with cancer was Sarawak Energy’s staff, Abang Abdul Raini. Abdul Raini and his wife shared his family’s inspiring battle against cancer when his son was diagnosed in 2009.
It was a touching story for the delegates and at the end of the session each participants took back a pledge card and a pin symbolising the support to help children fight against cancer. SCCS manager Jodie Sim described Sarawak Energy’s charity project as very meaningful and touching.
“The intention here is to stir the spirit of volunteerism and wanting to reach out to assist SCCS among Sarawak Energy staff. The real life stories shared here at the conference has made an impact among the delegates.
“Most of the time we just hear or read about these heartfelt stories from elsewhere but here, Sarawak Energy made sure the delegates hear about these experiences personally,” she said.
Sim hope to have more collaboration with Sarawak Energy in future. Some 70 cancer cases among children are detected every year in Sarawak and SCCS had assisted more than 700 families since it registered in 2001.
SCCS has been established for the relief and care of Malaysian children suffering from cancer as well as their families irrespective of race, religion and creed by providing support, accommodation, financial aid, education and recreation. It also supports the advancement of research and public education in the prevention, control, diagnosis and treatment of childhood cancer.
