Author name: yayasan

Addressing learning loss among high-need children KUALA LUMPUR, 29 April 2022 – Yayasan PETRONAS has introduced a new programme under its education focus area to improve literacy skills among underprivileged students  nationwide.   The initiative, named the Sentuhan Ilmu Bridging the Online Learning Divide (BOLD) Programme,  is a comprehensive intervention programme to address learning loss among high-need students.  The programme will provide Internet-enabled tablets, digital modules, and immediate learning  support through volunteer tutors to 2,000 high-need children from B40 communities.  The tablets will enable the students ranging from ages seven to nine, to participate in learning,  peer engagement and address learning losses due to school closures brought upon by the  COVID-19 pandemic.   Yayasan PETRONAS Chief Executive Officer, Shariah Nelly Francis said, “The eradication of  poverty begins with education, while the very basis of education is literacy — the ability to read. The pandemic has made it even more difficult for underprivileged children to learn and this could  mean missing out on reading their first book in class, with proper guidance in a structured manner.  “Early literacy abilities are critical for school readiness and achieving long-term school success.  The BOLD Programme is one of the ways that we can contribute to empower a child with the gift  of literacy.”   A total of 1,600 volunteer tutors comprising PETRONAS staff and members of the public have  been trained to deliver one-to-one remediation remotely via the WhatsApp app, using the  MYReaders Literacy Toolkit that contains practical tools to provide effective literacy intervention.  MYReaders is the implementation partner for Yayasan PETRONAS’ BOLD Programme. About MYReaders  MYReaders is a non-profit organisation focused on enabling children to achieve personal agency through  literacy. The organisation does this by empowering children, through communities by providing structured  and sustainable reading programmes that improve literacy competency.  Issued by Yayasan PETRONAS

KUALA LUMPUR, 13 April 2022 – Yayasan PETRONAS through its signature education programme, Program Duta Guru (PDG) recently collaborated with Petrosains to host a special sharing session here, with seven-time world champion Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton. The ‘PDG STEM Hub Special: Accelerate with Lewis Hamilton’ session saw 30 PDG teachers participating in the Formula One Speed Car project – a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) module that applies the Engineering Design Process (EDP) in designing the participants’ respective F1 racer vehicle models and manipulate the speed of their cars through coding to win the race. The participants then had the opportunity to interact with Hamilton during a question and answer session with the British racing driver, moderated by Yayasan PETRONAS CEO, Shariah Nelly Francis. In the session that was meant to further inspire and motivate the participants, the teachers were reminded that every child has the potential to be successful and that they play a critical role in nurturing and shaping the future of their students, especially in STEM education. Launched in 2019, PDG is Yayasan PETRONAS’ flagship education programme in collaboration with the Ministry of Education (MOE), that aims to improve and solidify the capability of local public-school teachers to promote students’ interest and competency in STEM subjects and enhance their higher order thinking skills (HOTS). The programme is in line with Yayasan PETRONAS’ goal of contributing towards 60:40 National STEM enrolment. Issued by:Yayasan PETRONAS

KUALA LUMPUR, 17 March 2022 – Yayasan PETRONAS has starting rolling out its Back To School 2022 (BTS 2022) Programme this week, contributing school supplies and hygiene kits to 36,000 lower primary and lower secondary school students from low-income households across Malaysia, in preparation for the  2022 academic year.   BTS 2022 has expanded its reach this year to include 14,000 lower secondary students in addition to 22,000  primary school students, from a total of 21,000 beneficiaries last year. The significant increase had taken into account the 580,000 M40 households that are now placed in the B40 category due to the pandemic, as reported by the Department of Statistics Malaysia.  The students will each receive one set of school uniform, a pair of black shoes; a classroom kit comprising  a school bag, stationery, water bottle and lunch box; a hygiene kit that contains face mask, hand towel, and  activity notebook; one set of sports attire and a geometry set for secondary school students. The activity  notebook incorporates lesson plans curated by Yayasan PETRONAS’ Program Duta Guru teachers.  Yayasan PETRONAS Chief Executive Officer Shariah Nelly Francis said: “For the first time, we have  included lower secondary school students in our Back To School Programme. We understand that it has  been a challenging year, especially for parents with school-going children. The pandemic, coupled with the  increasing cost of school supplies, have made it difficult for everyone. Thus, we believe that the lower  secondary school students should be supported as well. “We hope that our contributions will help to ease the financial burden of parents and motivate the students  to learn and adjust to returning to school again,” she added. The programme, which runs from mid-March to April 2022 began in Kelantan and Terengganu before moving on to other states across Malaysia. The Back To School Programme is part of Yayasan PETRONAS’ education focus area. It is also in line  with the PETRONAS Sustainability Agenda and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Issued by: Yayasan PETRONAS

KUALA LUMPUR, 27 January 2022 – Yayasan PETRONAS is ushering in the Chinese New Year with its Sentuhan Kasih Festive contribution activities for 1,460 underprivileged families and children across the nation.  From 24 January until 9 February, Yayasan PETRONAS is collaborating with Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat (JKM) to distribute festive food hampers and personal hygiene care packages to the underprivileged families, and children at nine orphanages. The festive hampers also include cookies specially made by participants of Yayasan PETRONAS’ Program MEKAR (Memampankan Ekonomi Asas Rakyat) for recipients in Kedah, Kelantan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Pulau Pinang, and Terengganu.  Through this Sentuhan Kasih programme, the beneficiaries in 13 states and two Federal Territories will be receiving contributions amounting to RM355,400 from the Foundation.  Yayasan PETRONAS has recently delivered hampers and care packages to JKM offices and orphanages in Johor, Kelantan, Kuala Lumpur, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Sabah, Sarawak, and Selangor. Distribution to the rest of the states continues until the first week of Chinese New Year. Yayasan PETRONAS Chief Executive Officer Shariah Nelly Francis said: “This Year of the Tiger would be especially memorable as we are celebrating it with a lion dance at the orphanages. We will be with the children at nine orphanages across Malaysia as well as beneficiaries in several locations in Sibu, Kuching, and Kota Kinabalu. “After two years of not being able to visit or meet in person due to the pandemic and movement restrictions, we are glad to be able to do so now and bring cheer to the beneficiaries with traditional Chinese New Year activities. We hope that this gesture will bring the joy of celebrating this auspicious occasion to all beneficiaries.” Each year, in conjunction with major celebrations in Malaysia, Yayasan PETRONAS extends necessities to the less fortunate via its Sentuhan Kasih programme to create a memorable celebration during the festive seasons. Sentuhan Kasih 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’ Sustainable Development Goals. Issued by: Yayasan PETRONAS  

KUALA LUMPUR, 23 December 2021 – Yayasan PETRONAS has launched its Sentuhan Kasih Festive initiative to usher in the year-end festive season, delivering care and Christmas gift packages to 1,348 B40 families and 409 beneficiaries from various orphanages, old folks homes and welfare centres across Malaysia. The Foundation is distributing essential food provisions and festive gifts worth a total of nearly RM482,000 which include rice, cooking oil, milk powder, dry goods as well as festive food items such as chocolate chip cookies, butter cookies, jam tarts and decorative items to low-income beneficiaries in 11 states and territories – Johor, Kedah, Kuala Lumpur, Labuan, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Perak, Pulau Pinang, Sabah, Sarawak, and Selangor. Distribution efforts started in the Southern region on 14 December 2021, in which the packages, comprising items such as a wheelchair, forehead thermometers, pulse oximeters, hand sanitisers, COVID-19 self-test kits and toys were given to orphans at the Persatuan Penjagaan Kanak Kanak Terencat Akal in Kulai, Johor. In the Northern and Central regions, Yayasan PETRONAS provided pulse oximeters and COVID-19 self-test kits to 285 families, thanks to the contribution of RM25,000 from the Association of Wives and Women Employees of PETRONAS (PETRONITA). Yayasan PETRONAS Chief Executive Officer Shariah Nelly Francis said: “At Yayasan PETRONAS, we embody and live the spirit of giving. It is always important for us to give back and help to make a difference to underprivileged communities. We hope this contribution will add joy to everyone during the festivities.”  In conjunction with various festivals in Malaysia, Yayasan PETRONAS offers underserved communities supplies for their basic needs and well-being every year.  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’ Sustainable Development Goals. Issued by: Yayasan PETRONAS  

KLUANG, 2 December 2021 – Yayasan PETRONAS, has reached out to brighten the lives of the Kampung Orang Asli Berasau community by providing solar-powered electricity to the village. A total of 11 houses, two cultural houses, and a community hall have been installed with solar power systems under the Sentuhan Harapan MEKAR Johor@Kluang programme. This programme is organised in collaboration with Jabatan Kemajuan Orang Asli (JAKOA) Johor, Kampung Orang Asli Berasau and Yayasan Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM). The aim is to enhance the livelihood and economic growth of the underprivileged communities through the provision of solar-powered electricity that promotes the sustainability essence in support of PETRONAS Sustainability agenda. Sentuhan Harapan MEKAR Johor@Kluang, under the flagship Program Memampankan Ekonomi Asas Rakyat (MEKAR), also supports Yayasan PETRONAS’ objective in promoting community well-being and development through long term sustainable advancements in the areas of socio-economic developments, healthcare, safety and living environments.  Located 50km from Kluang town, Kampung Orang Asli Berasau is the only settlement in Johor without access to the national grid. In the last 20 years, the community has been living in the dark, relying solely on diesel generators they shared amongst themselves for its 2-hour supply of electricity every day.Under this solar initiative, each house now receives a basic electricity supply with batteries that can last up to three days during the rainy season, LED lamps, fans, and several USB ports for phone charging. With solar-powered electricity, each household is able to save an estimated RM450 a month, reducing the financial burden the community has faced for many years. In addition, one of the Rumah Adat has been provided with a freezer (a common freezer for all) equipped with an additional solar panel to ensure that it remains functional for the community. With this initiative, it benefits 70 villagers from 17 families aged four to 70 years old. As part of this programme, the community was taught and trained to perform basic maintenance on the solar panels to ensure their efficiency and sustainability. Additionally, the solar power systems were inspected and verified by technical experts for safety. Sari Achu, Tok Batin, Kampung Orang Asli Berasau shared his joy of having solar-powered electricity with YB Tuan Vidyananthan a/l Ramanadhan, Johor Health and Environment Committee Chairman, during the launch of the Sentuhan Harapan MEKAR Johor@Kluang solar initiative in Kampung Berasau, together with Shariah Nelly Francis, Chief Executive Officer of Yayasan PETRONAS, and Sazli Zakaria, Head of PETRONAS Southern. “We appreciate the collaboration of all parties involved. It is heartening to see the advancement and amenities that we are able to provide with this programme. This initiative brings light and hope for so many, paving the road to a sustainable development and future for the community here. This is a start, and we aim to reach out to improve the livelihood of more communities and locations in the future,” said Shariah Nelly Francis, Chief Executive Officer of Yayasan PETRONAS. Sazli Zakaria, Head of PETRONAS Southern, also said, “We can now celebrate the successful implementation of this programme after months of hard work and collaboration with JAKOA, as well as the Orang Asli community. Our sincere thanks to all the parties involved, especially the community, for their full commitment to this sustainability programme. We do hope that by brightening their darker hours, we have somewhat paved their ways for a brighter future.” The Sentuhan Harapan MEKAR Johor@Kluang programme is part of Yayasan PETRONAS’ community well-being and development focus area. This programme is also in line with the PETRONAS Sustainability Agenda and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Issued by: Yayasan PETRONAS

KUALA LUMPUR, 28 October 2021 – Yayasan PETRONAS has begun distributing food and hygiene care packs to a total of 1,940 beneficiaries from old folks homes and welfare centres across 11 states in Malaysia, in conjunction with the upcoming Deepavali celebration, as part of its Sentuhan Kasih programme. Throughout this week, the Foundation is distributing essential food supplies and hygiene care items such as rice, cooking oil, flour, salt, sugar, milk powder, first aid kits, thermometers and pulse oximeters, worth a total RM392,000, to the beneficiaries. The Deepavali themed packs, which also contain traditional snacks such as murukku, omapodi and ghee cookies, are being distributed to the less privileged in Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Kuala Lumpur, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Pulau Pinang and Selangor. For this year’s Festival of Lights, Yayasan PETRONAS brings a simple message: “Illuminating and caring for a brighter future.” Yayasan PETRONAS Chief Executive Officer Shariah Nelly Francis said: “As we transition to the new normal, our team hopes that these food and hygiene care packs will ease the burden of vulnerable communities. It remains our main priority to ensure that underserved communities are being taken care of and we hope to give them the support they need and bring them joy during this celebration.”  Among the beneficiaries in Pulau Pinang were senior citizens at Tanes Caring Centre in Butterworth as well as B40 families in Seberang Perai Utara, who received their packages through the district’s Pejabat Kebajikan Masyarakat. In conjunction with major celebrations in Malaysia, Yayasan PETRONAS contributes items to underserved communities for their basic needs and well-being every year. 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’ Sustainable Development Goals. Issued by:Yayasan PETRONAS

KUALA LUMPUR, 1 September 2021 – Yayasan PETRONAS continues to support the nation in addressing the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic delivering medical equipment and supplies to hospitals as well as COVID-19 quarantine and vaccination centres (PPVs). The Foundation  delivered five Hamilton-C1 ventilators amounting to RM400,000  to Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz UKM (HCTM) on Monday, while earlier last week, 100 oxygen cylinders (10L) and 100 blood pressure monitors worth RM88,500 were delivered to the Greater Klang Valley Special Task Force (GKVSTF) at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS) COVID-19 Quarantine and Treatment Centre. Since the beginning of July, medical equipment and supplies worth RM3.4 million consisting of portable ventilators, medical oxygen cylinders, defibrillators, powered air purifying respirators (PAPR), patient monitors for intensive monitoring, and personal protective equipment (PPE) have been delivered to Hospital Sungai Buloh, Hospital Shah Alam, and Hospital Labuan. In Kelantan, the State Health Department had received 18 wheelchairs for use at its PPVs.   “With the high number of COVID-19 cases recorded daily, it is important that we support the country’s efforts in the vaccination process and help mitigate the health crisis in any way we can. We care about the well-being of the people, including those serving at the frontlines,” said Yayasan PETRONAS Chief Executive Officer, Shariah Nelly Francis. The Foundation also contributed 1,200 care packs worth RM76,840 to the healthcare providers at Hospital Sungai Buloh and Hospital Shah Alam in July in appreciation of their hard work and sacrifice.  In June, 500 wheelchairs were distributed to six mega PPVs in the Klang Valley to better accommodate senior citizens and people with special needs during their vaccination process. The centres were the Axiata Arena, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC), Malaysia International Trade & Exhibition Centre (MITEC), Setia City Convention Centre, Ideal Convention Center Shah Alam (IDCC) and Stadium Bukit Jalil. These contributions complement PETRONAS’ Sustainability Agenda and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals that focus on ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all. Issued by:Yayasan PETRONAS 

KUALA LUMPUR, 4 June 2021 – Yayasan PETRONAS is distributing devices with data connectivity to 12,000 students nationwide which will enable them to have better access to online learning as the education landscape in Malaysia shifts to one of hybrid teaching and learning. The RM30 million worth of digital devices are being supplied to 81 schools in 69 districts, from 17 May until mid-June as part of Yayasan PETRONAS’ commitment to CERDIK, an initiative by Government-Linked Companies (GLCs) and Government-Linked Investment Companies (GLICs) to provide digital access to students from underprivileged families.   Working in partnership with the Ministry of Education (MoE), the Ministry of Finance (MoF), and Yayasan Hasanah (the Secretariat), as well as other GLC and GLIC partners, Yayasan PETRONAS prioritised schools with a majority of students from B40 households.  The devices provided through CERDIK are designed to support the students’ learning requirements for three academic years, and are fitted with data services, maintenance, warranty and technical support.  “Through CERDIK, we want to provide equitable access to quality education for students as it is the first step to close the digital gap towards enriching their educational experiences and lives,” said Yayasan PETRONAS Chief Executive Officer Shariah Nelly Francis.  “With these devices and Internet service, we hope more students – especially those from underprivileged and rural communities – can better participate in online lessons.”  According to a survey of 900,000 students conducted by MoE last year, 37 per cent indicated that they did not have appropriate devices at home to participate in online lessons last year.  “During these difficult times, we must help ensure that no one gets left behind in the pursuit of education,” Nelly added, recognising that many families are facing financial pressures from the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. “We thank Yayasan PETRONAS for their support to CERDIK, one of the most comprehensive pilot initiatives on digital learning in public schools nationwide. Despite logistics issues due to the movement restrictions around the world, we are still on track to deliver the devices based on the stipulated timelines,” said Shahira Ahmed Bazari, Managing Director of Yayasan Hasanah. The contribution to CERDIK complements Yayasan PETRONAS’ various education outreach initiatives benefitting students and teachers. These include the recent Back To School programme in March 2021, where school supplies and personal hygiene kits were distributed to 21,000 students from underprivileged families nationwide.  The foundation also rolled out its signature Program Duta Guru, a collaboration between Yayasan PETRONAS and MoE. Earlier this year, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics teachers were provided with online teaching kits and guidance in delivering lessons for improved learning outcomes. ABOUT CERDIK CERDIK is a GLC-driven CSR pilot initiative announced in the Budget 2021 to provide digital access to education via accessibility of devices and data connectivity. In partnership with the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Ministry of Finance (MOF), the initiative is fully funded by Government Linked Companies (GLCs), Government Linked Investment Companies (GLICs), and the private sector and it seeks to enable continuous learning in the new norm and provide education access to the most marginalised school children. The Secretariat of the CERDIK initiative is Yayasan Hasanah, the charitable foundation of Khazanah Nasional Berhad. Issued by:Yayasan PETRONAS 

Kuala Lumpur, 7 April 2021 –  Yayasan PETRONAS, through its Program Duta Guru (PDG) initiative, has successfully equipped  its first cohort of 136 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) teachers for hybrid teaching via classroom and virtual modes across 113 school districts in Malaysia. Over the past months, each teacher received an online teaching kit which includes a mini green screen kit, a pedagogical book Pembelajaran Abad-21 and school stationery to help make online lessons effective, fun and interactive. They also received guidance on how to innovate and apply these items to create more engaging virtual lessons for their students. With public secondary schools reopening this week, over 180,000 school teachers are expected to transition back to regular teaching duties in Malaysia. Despite this, teachers would still need to continue with the online delivery of lessons as and when needed. “Our teachers are critical to the nation’s progress – they play such a huge role in the success of our students. Together with our partners, we are supporting the teachers’ professional development so they may better help students navigate the new normal and enhance their Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) through the STEM subjects,” said Yayasan PETRONAS Chief Executive Officer Shariah Nelly Francis.  Initiated in 2019, PDG is a collaboration between Yayasan PETRONAS and the Ministry of Education’s Pusat STEM Negara, with Teach For Malaysia as the implementation partner. It aims to strengthen the teachers’ capability and continuously improve their teaching quality through training and coaching, curated content and by providing infrastructure. PDG was rolled out through a series of three virtual sessions last year, where teachers gained insights from successful innovators in STEM education, discussed trends and challenges in the field – including how to effectively manage online classrooms and improve student learning outcomes. Chief Executive Officer of Teach For Malaysia, Chan Soon Seng said, “Along with the rest of the world, the future of educators is one fused with technology. Teachers will need to become savvy users of digital tools, as well as creators of online content and knowledge. They need to help their students foster these skills for the future workforce as well.” Since the delivery of the online teaching kits in December, many teachers have taken the opportunity to prepare ahead for their lessons this year. “This programme is very beneficial to me. It has impacted how I apply integrated STEM teaching into delivering online lessons. It also helped in boosting my confidence to be a STEM leader in school,” said Zulfadzli Mahamad @ Muhamad, a teacher from SMK Trusan, Sarawak who is part of PDG’s Cohort 1. Another PDG inductee from Labuan, Angela Joseph went a step further to collaborate with Yayasan PETRONAS in creating videos on the practice of good personal hygiene for primary school students. The collaboration was part of Yayasan PETRONAS’ Back To School programme, where 21,000 underprivileged primary school students received school supplies and personal hygiene kits.  “PDG taught me how to engage with students virtually and share these key takeaways with our teacher community groups. Through the collaboration with Yayasan PETRONAS, I am glad that students nationwide can also benefit from science to help them remember to follow the SOPs and stay safe,” said Angela.  Senior Principal Assistant Director of the National STEM Centre, Dr. Ihsan Ismail said, “With STEM teachers so consequential to the future of our students, we must address their needs as they face new challenges in their work. We hope to see more organisations stepping forward to collaborate with us in improving the quality of teaching in Malaysia.”  By 2030, PDG aims to have empowered 4,500 teachers to be highly capable STEM educators serving as role models in enhancing students’ interest and competency in STEM education and higher order thinking skills. Each teacher cohort will undergo a two-year training comprising workshops, online training, industry visits, and participate in projects that address issues hindering the progress of STEM in their student communities. PDG’s Cohort 2 is set to be inducted through a virtual session this month.  Issued by:Yayasan PETRONAS