KUALA LUMPUR, April 10 — McDonald’s Malaysia is no stranger when it comes to giving back to the community.

With more than 10,000 community engagement activities carried out in 2018 alone, the company has built itself on a longstanding commitment to helping out underprivileged groups in the country.

This led to McDonald’s Malaysia becoming the proud recipient of the Halal Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Excellence Award at the World Halal Conference 2019 last week.

The award recognises a company’s persistent dedication to incorporating ethical values, complying with legal requirements, and respect for individuals, communities, and the environment in the way they conduct business.

Some of McDonald’s Malaysia’s CSR activities last year included zakat contributions and the recruitment of asnaf youths (eligible tithe recipients) for the McDonald’s apprenticeship programme under the Human Resources Ministry's National Dual Training System.

They also helped underprivileged students start the year off on the right foot through the "Back-to-School” programme where 17,000 primary school children from poor urban families received packs containing a uniform, a school bag, and a pair of school shoes.

McDonald’s Malaysia managing director and local operating partner Azmir Jaafar said in a press release that lending a helping hand to the community has always been at the heart of the company’s principles.

"This award underscores the team’s commitment and continued efforts in giving back to communities, which is a core value of McDonald’s Malaysia.”

Azmir giving his introductory remarks during the Captains of Industry panel session titled ‘Global Halal Industry in 2030 — A Vision.’ — Picture courtesy of Halal Industry Development Corporation

Azmir, who was also a speaker at the Captains of Industry Panel titled "Global Halal Industry in 2030 — A Vision,” also emphasised how McDonald’s Malaysia continues to adhere to the best halal practices.

According to Azmir, the company models every aspect of their food sourcing, preparation, handling, and storage based on the halal requirements set by the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia.

"At McDonald’s Malaysia, we apply rigorous measures in terms of choosing suppliers and raw materials.

"We only work with halal-certified food suppliers with the highest cleanliness and stringent quality standards on par with the best global practices.”

In Malaysia, the fast food franchise currently runs more than 270 restaurants nationwide where 12,000 employees serve more than 13.5 million customers each month.

The very first McDonald's in Malaysia opened its doors back in 1982 and is still standing strong on Jalan Bukit Bintang in Kuala Lumpur today.