On the second day of my trip to Kuching last week, I not only had the opportunity to attend the soft launch of Sarawak Museum‘s redesigned longhouse gallery but also gain deeper insight on Sarawak Energy’s (“SEB) Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities.
In a closed presentation with selected influencers (three from KL and two from Kuching), SEB Manager of Social Investment, Corporate Social Responsibility, Joanne Tan Cho Yian spoke passionately about SEB’s CSR initiatives, with highlights on the resettled Penans in Murum, Bintulu.
We were also treated to a tour of the SEB headquarters, a certified green building by the Green Building Index (GBI). We learned some details about the energy-efficient building – its double-glazed glass, lights with ambient sensors and fuzzy-logic elevators. Little things that help make the building, that houses close to 1,000 staff, 3 times more efficient than a conventional building.
Running alongside the day’s activities was the Go Bald campaign, supported by SEB. First a primer. The Go Bald Campaign was first launched in 2009 by the Sarawak Children Cancer Society (SCCS), to create awareness about childhood cancer and to support children’s fight against cancer. Shaving heads is a public demonstration of moral support to cancer patients and their families; to show that it’s ok to be bald, and that it’s just a temporary setback on the road to recovery.
The campaign also raises funds for SCCS. In 2011, SCCS raised nearly RM1 million to help subsidise the building fund for a brand new SCCS center that provides care and support for child cancer patients in Sarawak.
Though unplanned, it didn’t take much convincing by the lads from Edelman PR Kuala Lumpur, the public relations agency for SEB, to get my messy mane shaven off for the very first time. Together in my journey to skinhead territory were Edelman’s Stuart Tan, Loong Hin Yoong, Basil Lim and Joseph Cheong.
The Go Bald session received tremendous support with close to 50 people signing up, comprising mostly SEB’s staff. At the tail-end of the session, a lady also volunteered to do it, as well. Much respect!
SEB made a contribution of RM10,000 to SCCS in support of the campaign.
The Go Bald campaign proper kicked off in Sibu on May 1, followed by Miri on May 12 and onwards to Kuching on May 19, 2013.
For more on the Go Bald campaign, visit http://gobald.my
My trip to Sarawak was generously sponsored by Sarawak Energy (SEB). Learn more about SEB and follow them on Twitter – @1SarawakEnergy.
