Sime Darby Wins Inaugural ASEAN Red Ribbon for Outstanding Workplace (ARROW) Award

KUALA LUMPUR, 14 September 2016 – Sime Darby was bestowed the ASEAN Red Ribbon for Outstanding Workplace (ARROW) Award, in recognition of its non-discriminatory human resource policy and corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts to improve the quality of life of the people living with HIV in Malaysia.

The inaugural award from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Business Coalition on AIDS (BCA) recognises excellence in the business and corporate sectors for HIV/AIDS initiatives in the region, particularly in the areas of HIV/AIDS workplace policy and CSR.

The award ceremony was held today in Bogor, Indonesia, in conjunction with the BCA meeting. Maruli Apul Hasoloan, Labour Inspection Development and Occupational Safety and Health director general at Indonesia’s Ministry of Manpower, and the Deputy Secretary General – ASEAN Secretariat, H.E. Vongthep Arthakaivalvatee were present at the ceremony. 

Sime Darby Foundation (SDF) the philanthropic arm of the Sime Darby Group, which carries out the HIV/AIDS initiatives under its Community and Health pillar, received the award on behalf of Sime Darby. 

SDF chairman Tun Musa Hitam said the Foundation has been in the forefront of initiatives to address numerous issues faced by those affected by HIV/AIDS since 2013.

“We are honoured to receive the inaugural ARROW award, which is a recognition of the work that SDF has carried out endlessly to support those from underprivileged backgrounds affected by HIV/AIDS.”

“It is also an acknowledgement of Sime Darby’s human resource non-discriminatory policy at the workplace for HIV/AIDS,” he added.

Tun Musa said SDF has so far allocated close to RM3 million to the Malaysian AIDS Council (MAC) and Malaysian AIDS Foundation (MAF) for initiatives and programmes that benefit communities struggling with HIV/AIDS from 2013 to 2017.

Amri Abdul Kasim, Director of Operation, Safety and Health Norm Supervision at the Manpower Ministry of the Republic of Indonesia, said Sime Darby is among nine other corporations from ASEAN countries committed towards non-discrimination of HIV/AIDS employees besides contributing to communities affected by the virus outside of its operations as part of the company’s CSR. 

“The ARROW awardees are expected to serve as a precedent and motivator to other companies to implement a HIV/AIDS prevention and control programme at the workplace, and as a result, the business sector can contribute more in the HIV/AIDS control programme nationally and globally,” the ministry said. 

The ARROW Award was first announced after the terms of reference of the award was adopted by the 24th ASEAN Labour Ministers Meeting (ALMM) in May 2016 in Vientiane, Laos. 

The ministers present at the meeting had also adopted the ASEAN Guidelines on Essential Workplace Action for Enterprises on Prevention and Management of HIV and AIDS.

The award aims to cultivate better awareness and greater involvement of business leaders in achieving zero new-HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths in the workplace in ASEAN member states. 

Sime Darby was nominated for the ARROW award by the Department of Occupational Safety and Health under the Ministry of Human Resources Malaysia.

For further information, please contact: 

Regina William
External Communications
Group Communications
Sime Darby Berhad
Tel:  03-2711 3895 (Off), 019-299 0470 (HP)
Email: regina.william@simedarby.com

About Yayasan Sime Darby
Yayasan Sime Darby, or Sime Darby Foundation, was established in 1982 and is the primary driver of Sime Darby Berhad’s Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives. 

The objectives of Yayasan Sime Darby are supported by its five pillars, namely: community and health; education; youth and sports; arts and culture; environment. While led by independent members of a Governing Council and managed by a dedicated team, Yayasan Sime Darby works closely with the Sime Darby Group, in areas of mutual interest. 

Since its inception, Yayasan Sime Darby has awarded scholarships worth more than RM230.8 million to 2,926 students both in and outside Malaysia. It is supporting long term research projects of significant scientific value like the Stability of Altered Forest Ecosystems (SAFE) project which is the world’s largest ecological project, a joint effort with the Royal Society (The UK and Commonwealth Academy of Science). Yayasan Sime Darby is also actively involved in the development and improvements of sports in Malaysia namely track cycling, lawn bowling, cricket, tennis and golf. Under its community & health pillar, Yayasan Sime Darby supports initiatives to promote the well-being of disadvantaged people irrespective of race, culture, religion, creed or gender and works with established organisations to promote the development of arts & culture.