Shell Malaysia Reinforces Commitment to Sustainable Development

Kota Kinabalu

Shell Malaysia today reinforced its commitment to sustainable development by increasing its annual grants to RM500,000, from RM300,000 previously. The grants will be used to assist 13 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) for environmental conservation and sustainable livelihood projects in Malaysia.

Seven environmental conservation projects, five sustainable livelihood projects and one combined category project have been selected to receive the 2010 Shell Malaysia Sustainable Development Grants, which is currently in its third cycle.

Datuk Masidi Manjun, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Sabah and Encik Anuar Taib, Chairman, Shell Malaysia, presented the grants to seven Sabah and Sarawak-based NGOs at the award ceremony held in Kota Kinabalu earlier this morning. A similar awards ceremony will be held in Kuala Lumpur next week to award the remaining six NGOs that are based in Peninsular Malaysia

Of the Grants Programme, Encik Anuar said: “Shell introduced the Shell Sustainable Development Grants programme to help accelerate the country’s sustainable development progress through empowering Malaysia-based NGOs to initiate projects in two main focus areas: environmental conservation and sustainable livelihood.”
 
“We are so encouraged by the positive response from the NGOs, to the Grants programme, and by the results delivered by the selected projects under the Grants, that it will now be Shell Malaysia’s main channel of investment for the Company’s Sustainable Development activities. It is clear that working in this manner with NGOs and other like-minded organisations, has allowed us to unearth more sectors that require attention and extend our sustainable development reach”, he added.

The projects were selected based on their practicality, direct benefits, financial needs, sustainability and originality by an independent panel of judges comprising:

• Dato’ Dr Dionysius S.K. Sharma, Executive Director/CEO, World Wildlife Fund Malaysia
• Dr. Sulochana Nair, Director of Centre for Poverty and Development Studies, Universiti Malaya
• Agnes Yoong, Sustainable Development Manager, Shell Malaysia

The Sabah and Sarawak recipients are as follows:

• Jawatankuasa Kemajuan dan Keselamatan (JKK) Pusat Jagoi, Bau, Kuching, Sarawak for its 400-hectare tropical rainforest conservation project
• The Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) Bird Conservation Council for a survey on waterbirds and wetland habitat along the Sarawak coast
• Native Youth Institution for a project to build a gravity pipe to supply clean water to Changan and Minggang long house communities
• Sabah Wetlands for its water quality conservation project at the Kota Kinabalu Wetland Centre (KKWC)
• The Marine Research Foundation in Sabah for its green sea turtle conservation project in Malaysia
• Partners of Community Organisations (PACOS TRUST) for its capacity building project on food processing, organic agriculture and handicraft for indigenous women in Kg Komburonggo, Kudat, Sabah
• Bundu Tuhan Graduates Society in Sabah for its project to develop and promote the livelihood of the highland community based on eco-friendly tourism initiatives

The Company also chose sustainable development, themed “A Circle of Life”, for its 2011 corporate calendar. The calendar, unveiled at the awards ceremony today, features selected initiatives undertaken by its 2008 grant recipients.

“Our corporate calendar for 2011 honours the work of our previous grant recipients.  Through this, Shell Malaysia hopes to further support the endeavours of our recipients and demonstrate the importance of conservation and sustainability in the country,” Anuar said.

For media queries, please contact Shell Malaysia Media Relations:

Datin Lucy Irene Yong
Head, Corporate Affairs – Sabah
tel: +6 088 292124
mobile: +6 019 885 9069
email: lucyirene.yong@shell.com

Victor Klanang
Social Investment and Media Advisor
tel: +6 088 292143
mobile: +6 012 8773865
email: victor.klanang@shell.com