KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 2 — Yayasan Sime Darby (YSD) recently celebrated over 1,800 of their employee volunteers at the YSD Volunteer Award Ceremony (YSDVAC) 2023.

YSD, which is the philanthropic arm of Sime Darby Plantation, Sime Darby Berhad and Sime Darby Property paid tribute to employees who clocked in more than 14,800 hours of volunteerism in the past year.

The ceremony celebrated the best volunteer teams and individuals from Sime Darby companies for their extensive volunteering efforts under the YSD Huluran Kasih and YSD Eco Citizen programmes.

Amongst the Sime Darby companies that have made the list of YSDVAC award recipients included Renggam Estate’s Sime Darby Plantation, Kota Baru’s Sime Darby Industrial and Bandar Bukit Raja’s Sime Darby Property.

Since the inception of YSD Huluran Kasih programme in 2018, over 250 activities have been carried out with more than 4,000 employee volunteers, clocking over 47,000 hours of volunteer time.

SD Eco Citizen programme, which was launched this year, anticipates a significant increase in employee participants, further reinforcing its resolve to community and environmental efforts.

Amongst YSD project partners that were featured at the event as exhibitors are NGOs such as Free Tree Society, Global Environment Centre, Mental Illness Awareness and Support Association, Persatuan Pelindung Harimau Malaysia, The Lost Food Project as well as MERCY Malaysia.

The ceremony was also held to celebrate Sime Darby’s employee volunteers who played a critical role in them being named the ‘Foundation of the Year’ in the ESG Leadership Excellence category by CSR Malaysia at the Sustainability and CSR Malaysia Awards 2023 in July this year.

YSD’s Chairman, Tunku Tan Sri Imran Ibni Almarhum Tuanku Ja’afar, who was present at the ceremony which took place on September 19 in conjunction with Malaysia Day, congratulated the employee volunteers and encouraged more employees to come forward and carry the spirit of volunteerism further.

"This recognition reflects the efforts, dedication, and passion of the Sime Darby employees to make positive changes in the community and the environment.

"I hope more will come forward to become ambassadors for positive change, champions of empathy, and catalysts for progress, because each of us can play a role in building a more sustainable and inclusive society.”

Meanwhile YSD chief executive officer Yatela Zainal Abidin offered her gratitude to the employee volunteers for their role in driving positive changes.

"Today we acknowledge the pivotal role Sime Darby employee volunteers have played in effecting positive change within the communities.

"This ceremony is more than just an occasion; it is our expression of profound gratitude for our volunteers’ exceptional contributions.

"They have not only fuelled YSD’s initiatives but have also become the driving force behind our commitment to empowering communities, safeguarding the environment, and nurturing a more sustainable and inclusive future for all,” she said.

Since 1982, YSD has dedicated itself to enhancing lives and delivering sustainable values through its five pillars of Education, Environment, Community & Health, Sports, and Arts & Culture, while practising high ethical values and good corporate governance.

YSD’s commitment to environmental, social and governance (ESG) in philanthropy was also recognised earlier this year with an A+ rating in the Foundations Transparency Score Report by Wiki Impact.

For more information on YSD, please click here.