AMWAY (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd (AMWAY Malaysia) has stepped up to assist the Government in ramping up its COVID-19 testing via RM156,000 donation to fund the purchase of 3,354 COVID-19 test kits for University of Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC).
The contribution is part of AMWAY Malaysia’s “Let’s Fight COVID-19 Together” donation campaign which encourages the Company’s AMWAY Business Owners (ABOs) and employees to donate to the cause from April 20 to May 31, 2020. At the end of the campaign period, AMWAY Malaysia will match the cash donations by ABOs.
In the 10 days since the campaign launch in April, the “Let’s Fight COVID-19 Together” donation campaign has successfully collected RM156,000. AMWAY Malaysia has proceeded to mark the milestone by presenting this initial donation to UMMC. The donation is AMWAY Malaysia’s first ever contribution to UMMC to ensure that the hospital has sufficient kits to conduct COVID-19 tests.
Speaking at a donation presentation ceremony, Mike Duong, Managing Director of AMWAY Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei said that AMWAY Malaysia is very proud of our ABOs’ and employees’ heartfelt passion to helping the country and deeply honoured to contribute to UMMC’s relentless battle against the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic by ensuring sufficient resources are available to boost Malaysia’s daily testing capacity.
“As our community continue to be affected by COVID-19, the company, our ABOs, and employees felt a strong sense of duty to give back to the people of Malaysia who have supported our growth throughout the years. In the spirit of solidarity, we have mobilised our ABOs and employees to assist healthcare professionals at UMMC who have been working tirelessly around the clock to safeguard public health and safety since the outbreak of COVID-19 in the country.
“Our contribution aligns with AMWAY’s vision of “Helping People Live Healthier and Better Lives” and reflects our commitment to assist those who are in need. We believe that our contribution will give UMMC’s frontliners a sense of the community spirit, belief and reassurance that together, we can navigate through the crisis and overcome the adversity caused by COVID-19. We truly appreciate their personal sacrifices, dedication and hard work in battling the pandemic and hope that our contribution will help patients who are likely to contract COVID-19 with greater access to testing at the hospital,” said Duong.
Meanwhile, University of Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) Director, Prof Dr Tunku Kamarul Zaman Tunku Zainol Abidin commended AMWAY Malaysia’s contribution which will help the hospital fast-track testing and facilitate the management of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Testing is the essential first step towards early identification, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19. It plays a crucial role in ensuring the prevention and control of the pandemic especially since the implementation of a conditional Movement Control Order (MCO) from May 4 to ease some restrictions.
“After reaching the country’s initial target of 16,500 COVID-19 tests per day, Malaysia is edging closer to achieving its goal of conducting 22,000 tests daily. Hence, we need enough test kits to boost our testing capabilities. AMWAY Malaysia’s timely contribution enables us to scale up our testing capability while demonstrating strong and compassionate corporate citizenry to all.
“We would like to thank AMWAY Malaysia for establishing the donation campaign and its ABOs’ generosity to support UMMC. AMWAY Malaysia has risen to the occasion and stepped up to help battle the pandemic. We are truly grateful for their empathy and appreciate their comradeship during this challenging time,” said Dr Tunku Kamarul.
In addition to the RM156,000 donation, AMWAY Malaysia has donated to date 346 Atmosphere Air Purifier units, worth up to RM2 million of in-kind donation, to various institutions throughout Malaysia.
Amway’s largest donation of 250 Atmosphere Air Purifier units, worth RM1.4 million, was done in conjunction with the Ministry of Health (MOH) to ensure that Malaysia’s healthcare professionals, patients, family members and the general public receive high quality and cleaner air at government hospitals nationwide. The most recent set of 150 Atmosphere Air Purifier units were distributed by MOH to the Emergency and Trauma Units of public hospitals all over Peninsular Malaysia, Labuan, Sabah and Sarawak. While an earlier batch of 100 units were distributed by MOH to 11 government hospitals in Selangor, with Hospital Sungai Buloh, one of the main battlefields in Malaysia for fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, being the first to receive the Atmosphere Air Purifier units on March 17, 2020.
Apart from government hospitals, AWMAY Malaysia also reached out to the National Cancer Council (MAKNA) by donating 25 units of the same air purifiers to the Council’s centres and 71 units to shelters under the Social Welfare Department nationwide.
“We want to make a difference in the community that we operate in especially during this unprecedented time. Time and time again, our core ABO force of 254,000 and employees have stepped forward in a huge way to uphold AMWAY Malaysia’s value and do our bit to help society at large. What better time to do so than the holy month of Ramadan that nurtures the spirit of giving and caring for those in need. We are confident that our ABOs will continue to support the donation campaign and help us raise even more funds by the end of May as we unite as a nation to battle against COVID-19,” Duong added.