GAB Foundation continues its commitment to education by donating RM24,000 to Yayasan Sin Chew’s ‘We-Care-Sponsor-A-Child’ Programme. The donation will go towards supporting 10 underprivileged students for one year in the form of monthly study allowance to cover their school fees, transportation cost, books and basic necessities for school.
This donation is one of the Foundation’s initiatives under its Education pillar which aims to provide education opportunities to impoverished students in Malaysia. Since its establishment in 2007, GAB Foundation has contributed more than RM1.3 million towards various education programmes in the country.
“At GAB Foundation, we believe that education and learning is the key to a better life and we actively seek to play a part in education-based projects in Malaysia. We believe that this donation will help these children realise their ambition by providing them with access and means to a good education” said Tan Sri Saw Huat Lye, Chairman of GAB Foundation, who presented the donation to Koo Cheng, Executive Director of Sin Chew Media Corporation and Chief Executive Officer of Sin Chew Daily, in a mock cheque presentation ceremony.
Also present were Dato’ Mahadev Shankar, Trustee of GAB Foundation, Renuka Indrarajah, Director of GAB Foundation Management Committee, Eugene Wong, Group Director of Marketing and Business Development, and Tong Siew Kheng, Sin Chew Company Secretary and Yayasan Sin Chew Senior Manager.
[caption id="attachment_5665" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="(L – R) Eugene Wong, Group Director of Marketing and Business Development and Koo Cheng, Executive Director of Sin Chew Media Corporation and Chief Executive Officer of Sin Chew Daily receiving the mock cheque from Tan Sri Saw Huat Lye, Chairman of GAB Foundation, Dato’ Mahadev Shankar, Trustee of GAB Foundation, and Renuka Indrarajah, Director of GAB Foundation Management Committee."][/caption]
Under the Education pillar, GAB Foundation is currently supporting 200 students through its English Programme which aims to improve the level of English proficiency among students by providing them with additional lessons over and above their regular curriculum. Besides that, the Foundation also sponsors reading corners to help students nurture the reading habit by giving them access to English reading materials. To-date, the Foundation has set up 36 reading corners in Malaysia, including 19 in Sabah and Sarawak. Moving forward, the Foundation will be conducting an intensive 2-week English camp for three primary schools in Perak during the year-end school holidays in November and December.
The ‘We-Care-Sponsor-A-Child’ Programme was launched in February 2002 by Yayasan Sin Chew with the aim of providing financial assistance to underprivileged students who are pursuing their primary and secondary education. Interested donors who wish to sponsor students under this programme can also donate to Yayasan Sin Chew.
GAB Foundation continues its commitment to education by donating RM24,000 to Yayasan Sin Chew’s ‘We-Care-Sponsor-A-Child’ Programme. The donation will go towards supporting 10 underprivileged students for one year in the form of monthly study allowance to cover their school fees, transportation cost, books and basic necessities for school. Read more
Mr S Iswaran, Minister, Prime Minister’s Office, and Second Minister for Home Affairs and Trade & Industry, launches the International Singapore Compact CSR Summit 2011 recently, against a backdrop of CSR gaining momentum in Singapore.
Singapore Compact for CSR, the national organisation charged with promoting CSR, has reported a 60% increase in the number of members over the past two years, with 160 new members since May 2009. This is the fastest growth experienced since the body was set up in 2005, reflecting an increase in CSR awareness. Its membership now stands at 366.
The spurt in growth is directly attributable to the greater awareness and the intensified efforts by Singapore Compact to push the CSR message island-wide. This will be further impetus for the body to increase its resources and strengthen its services and training programmes.
The adoption of the CSR movement is also evidenced by the fact that more than 70 companies now provide a sustainability report in some form or other. Three years ago, there were no such reports.
Additionally, 16 more companies have signed up as signatories to the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) network in Singapore. The UNGC incorporates 10 principles covering human rights, labour standards, environment and anti-corruption. Singapore Compact is serving as the Secretariat for the ASEAN CSR Network – a network of CSR Networks in ASEAN.
Said Singapore Compact’s President, Ms Olivia Lum: “I have been glad to see quite a number of steps on a broader scale towards sustainability. The Singapore Stock Exchange launched its Guide to Sustainability Reporting for Listed Companies at the end of June. This was a significant step in encouraging public-owned companies to look at business strategies and risk management in a more holistic way.
“The Code of Corporate Governance has also been relooked at, with an eye to better transparency and governance of businesses.”
CSR is essentially about businesses doing well and doing good by working together with stakeholders. It means working with a social conscience, while running a profitable business.
Singapore Compact was set up by the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) and Singapore Business Federation (SBF) in 2005 to encourage the take-up of CSR by business organisations. It is the focal point for the United Nations Global Compact Network in Singapore and serves as the Secretariat for the ASEAN CSR Network.
Said Mr Thomas Thomas, Executive Director of Singapore Compact: “The pressures of the global trends lately have been building up, and we will need to be innovative and efficient in order to succeed further in our quest to promote and promulgate the acceptance of CSR in Singapore.”
Focus on youth
Singapore Compact recently announced that it will centre on youth to lay down a CSR foundation for the future. This includes:
i) Youth outreach and involvement
ii) Student chapters with ideas and events driven by students
Workshops and seminars for students e.g. for final year Water and Environment students at SP
Partnerships with tertiary bodies e.g. SMa Institute of Higher Learning-Murdoch University, Temasek Polytechnic
Already has CSR chapters in NUS, Singapore Management University, SMa Institute of Higher Learning- Murdoch University and Temasek Poly
Make frequent presentations to universities and polytechnics
Has been inviting students to attend the CSR summit over the last three years
In line with this focus, it has together with partner and local CSR champion City Developments Limited, launched a new initiative, the CDL-Singapore Compact Young CSR Leaders Award. This involves tertiary students working with Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to help analyse and implement CSR programmes and practices among these businesses. Singapore Compact’s existing CSR awards introduced in 2010 are for business organisations.
This joint initiative is aimed at promoting CSR to young people as well as encouraging and engaging SMEs to practice CSR. In this inaugural Award, 27 teams from tertiary institutions were assigned to 10 SMEs to propose CSR initiatives to them.
The top three teams will receive their prizes from Guest-of-Honour Mr Iswaran at the summit to be held on 5-6 September at Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel.
The three winning teams are:
First: “Team Precise Consultancy” from SMa Institute of Higher Learning-Murdoch University, which worked with ADDP Architects.
Team members: Kimberly Yap, Rosemary Lee, Sandhu Jespreet Kaur, Shyanne Wang
Prize: $5,000
Second: “The Changemakers” from Singapore Management University (SMU), which worked with Siloso Beach Resort.
Team members: Bernice Ong, Teo Baona, Joseph Choy, Regina Heng, Wee ZhenYi, Pearlyn Loh
Prize: $3,000
Third: “Team NUS” from National University of Singapore (NUS), which worked with Mainguard Security Services & Mainguard International.
Team members: Kwek Yi Jun, Fabian Chua, Macey Tan, Benedict Yeo
Prize: $2,000
The remaining seven companies involved are Ispahan Group, Fabulous Printers, Origin Exterminators, Unison Construction, Wavelink Travel, The Sukha House, and KPK Quantity Surveyors.
Mr Thomas said its programme for youth will also include working with student bodies in tertiary institutions to expose students to CSR. Several student chapters have already been launched over the past year, including SMa Institute of Higher Learning-Murdoch University and Temasek Polytechnic. The National University of Singapore and Singapore Management University chapters were established earlier.
It will also organise more workshops and seminars for members as well as for tertiary students.
Singapore Compact CSR awards for companies
The Singapore Compact CSR Awards were launched last year to recognize outstanding achievements in how companies behave towards the environment, the local community and their people.
Having received a tremendous response in 2010, the awards opened for submission again this year in April, and closed early in July after receiving 49 entries across 4 categories: Best Workplace Award, Community Developer Award, Caring Employer Award, and Green Champion Award.
The Awards drew submissions from a range of organisations, including private corporations, social enterprises and co-operatives. In addition to the Award winners from each category, 2 organisations received Special Mentions for their commitment to CSR.
The following are the winners:
Community Developer: Citi Singapore
Caring Employer: KFC Management
Green Champion: Samwoh Corporation
Best Workplace: Maybank Singapore
Two Special Mention Awards will be given to Adrenalin Events and Education and Mirage Landscape Design & Contract.
Winning companies will receive their awards at the International Singapore Compact CSR Summit 2011 to be held on 5-6 September at Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel.
CSR programme to be ramped up
Elaborating on the ramped-up CSR programme, Mr Thomas said the focus is to raise awareness, recruit new members and build capacity.
“We are also taking steps to add value to membership,” he added. “The Singapore Compact website has been revamped and more resource materials added. The aim is to make it a one-stop centre where members can ask questions and raise issues so they can share the CSR journey. Since the revamp, the website has been getting more hits.”
The website includes updates, articles and interviews by partners and members of Singapore Compact’s consultants’ network. It has both resources to raise general awareness of public and exclusive resources for members specifically. A blog has also been created. In due course, it will have an interactive area for members to exchange ideas.
Since January, a monthly e-newsletter has been sent out to update members on developments and upcoming trends. Singapore Compact will tap on expert consultants in various fields of CSR to provide more advice and assistance over the years as Singapore’s CSR capability grows.
The Summit
The International Singapore Compact CSR Summit 2011 is being held for the third time. There will be two keynote speeches, one by Dr Wayne Visser, Founder and Director of the think-tank CSR International.
Dr Visser will speak on “Sustainability, Next Mega Trend: How True? How to Respond?”
Senior Associate at the University of Cambridge Programme for Sustainability Leadership, and Visiting Professor of Sustainability at Magna Carta College, Oxford, he is also the author/editor of 12 books, nine on the role of business in society.
The second keynote speaker will be Dr Fons Trompenaars, Director, Trompenaars Hampden-Turner of the Netherlands. He will speak on CSR – Sustaining Values for Success.
Fons Trompenaars is a Dutch author and consultant in the field of cross-cultural communication. His books include: Riding the Waves of Culture, Seven Cultures of Capitalism, Building Cross-Cultural Competence, 21 Leaders for the 21st Century and Innovating in a Global Crisis. Trompenaars experienced cultural differences firsthand at home, where he grew up speaking both French and Dutch, and then later at work with Shell in nine countries.
Other subjects to be discussed at the summit will cover investor relations, sustainability reporting, CSR and supply chain management and role of media in CSR.
Mr S Iswaran, Minister, Prime Minister’s Office, and Second Minister for Home Affairs and Trade & Industry, launches the International Singapore Compact CSR Summit 2011 recently, against a backdrop of CSR gaining momentum in Singapore. Read more
A pair of teenagers from Thailand scooped the top prize in the FedEx Express/Junior Achievement International Trade Challenge (ITC) regional finals, a three-day competition designed to educate and build entrepreneurship and business skills in young people from Asia-Pacific.
The students, Phimpakarn Songsantiphap and Patsachon Kriengwatana, beat twenty-three other teams from Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and the Philippines with an outstanding and innovative business idea in response to this year’s challenge, which was to develop a market entry strategy for promoting tourism services in Guam.
The team from Thailand came up with a comprehensive integrated program to launch a ‘Sabai Thai Spa’
The second place went to the team from Singapore represented by Lee Qi Ni and Darren Ong. Their service promotion involved launching the “Love Rite” wedding and honeymoon service aimed at young American couples.
Third-prize winners Daniel Chew Jiawang and Chow Ken Hong from Malaysia also created a service offering for honeymoon couples, this time targeting the Japanese market.
FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) and the world’s largest express transportation company, and JA Worldwide®, the world’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring and preparing young people to succeed in a global economy, joined forces to organize the event. The annual ITC launched in 2007, supported by a US$1.63million grant from FedEx Express over a five-year period, involving major markets in the Asia-Pacific region.
“At FedEx, we recognize that entrepreneurship is a fundamental building block of economic growth. The International Trade Challenge helps identify and develop the entrepreneurial instincts of the young people who take part. Much of the growth of FedEx can be attributed directly to our commitment to innovate and try new things, so we are pleased to be part of a competition which inspires young people to become the entrepreneurs of their generation. It is a great experience which encourages their entrepreneurial spirit, shares global business knowledge and develops their life skills,” said David L. Cunningham, Jr., president, FedEx Express Asia Pacific.
This year, 48 students between 15-19 years of age from eight markets across Asia Pacific were selected to represent their markets at the regional finals in Thailand after competing at the local challenge in their respective home markets.
The panel of judges comprising successful entrepreneurs and business leaders evaluated the teams on their business acumen, concept and presentation. The students were measured on their thoroughness, creativity and professionalism in developing and executing their business entry strategy.
“We are very impressed with the quality of the market entry strategies presented this year. We have seen great ingenuity, creativity, teamwork and communication skills from the finalists, and we hope that this experience will help them prepare for the challenges of the business world in the future,” said Mr. Cunningham.
Sean C. Rush, president and chief executive officer of JA Worldwide, added, “These JA students represent the next generation of business leaders. They are developing the competitive skills they need to position their companies for success in the global economy, as well as building a network for expansion of their organization's footprint. JA Worldwide is proud to work with FedEx to provide students with access to experiences like the ITC where they can apply entrepreneurial innovation.”
Now in its fifth year, the ITC has provided more than 5,750 students in Asia Pacific a firsthand experience of world trade; enhanced their knowledge of product distribution, promotion, and sales; and developed traits of competition, teamwork, risk-taking, and self-confidence. FedEx employees volunteered as mentors or to help students understand the concept of international trade and guide them in the development of their plans.
A pair of teenagers from Thailand scooped the top prize in the FedEx Express/Junior Achievement International Trade Challenge (ITC) regional finals, a three-day competition designed to educate and build entrepreneurship and business skills in young people from Asia-Pacific. Read more
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), which has moved on to the next leg with a 60 per cent increase in the number of organisations adopting this principle over the past two years, will now place a greater focus on youth to lay down a CSR foundation for the future.
Singapore Compact for CSR, the national organisation charged with promoting CSR, will place a strong emphasis on youth alongside with business organisations as it ramps up its awareness drive and training programmes to push the movement forward at a fast pace.
A highlight is the launch of a new initiative, the CDL-Singapore Compact Young CSR Leaders Award, which involves tertiary students working with Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to help analyse and implement CSR programmes and practices among these businesses. Singapore Compact’s existing CSR awards introduced in 2010 are for business organisations.
Said Singapore Compact’s Executive Director, Mr Thomas Thomas: “Singapore Compact has made good progress over the past few years. There are clear signs that CSR is gaining momentum in Singapore. Our membership has grown with 160 new members since May 2009 and our revenue has increased. This will enable us to increase our resources and strengthen our services and training programmes. Sustainability reporting has also started to take hold.
“Singapore Compact will ramp up its efforts to promote CSR to the business community. We will also target and engage youth, as they will form and lead the future business community and other organisations. Having been exposed to the benefits of CSR, they are more likely to embrace it in their workplaces and companies in the future. The new CDL-Singapore Compact Young CSR Leaders Award gives them an opportunity to work with SMEs, which tend to be more focussed on survival and put strategic plans for CSR on hold.”
This joint initiative with City Developments Ltd (CDL) is aimed at promoting CSR to young people and at encouraging and engaging SMEs to practice CSR. In this inaugural Award, 27 teams from tertiary institutions were assigned to 10 SMEs to propose CSR initiatives to them.
The top three teams will receive their prizes at the International Singapore Compact CSR Summit 2011 to be held on 5-6 September at Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel. Mr S. Iswaran, Minister, Prime Minister’s Office, and Second Minister for Home Affairs and Trade & Industry, will officiate at the event.
The three winning teams:
First: “Precise Consultancy” from Murdoch University Singapore, which worked with ADDP Architects.
Team members: Kimberly Yap, Rosemary Lee, Sandhu Jespreet Kaur, Shyanne Wong
Prize: SGD5,000
Second: “The Changemakers” from Singapore Management University (SMU), which worked with Siloso Beach Resort.
Team members: Bernice Ong, Teo Baona, Joseph Choy, Regina Heng, Wee ZhenYi, Pearlyn Loh
Prize: SGD3,000
Third: “Team NUS” from National University of Singapore (NUS), which worked with Mainguard Security Services & Mainguard International.
Team members: Kwek Yi Jun, Fabian Chua, Macey Tan, Benedict Yeo
Prize: SGD2,000
The remaining seven companies involved are Ispahan Group, Fabulous Printers, Origin Exterminators, Unison Construction, Wavelink Travel, The Sukha House, and KPK Quantity Surveyors.
Mr Thomas said its programme for youth will also include the setting up of more student chapters in tertiary institutions to expose students to CSR. Several student chapters have already been launched over the past year, including Murdoch University Singapore and Temasek Polytechnic. The National University of Singapore chapter was established earlier.
It will also organise more workshops and seminars for members as well as for tertiary students.
CSR is essentially about businesses doing well and doing good by working together with stakeholders. It means working with a social conscience, while running a profitable business.
Singapore Compact was set up by the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) in 2005 to encourage the take-up of CSR by business organisations. It is serving as the Secretariat for the ASEAN CSR Network.
Progress over past two years
Mr Thomas gives the following report on progress made over the past two years:
Membership increased by 60 per cent over the past two years, with 160 new members. As at July 2011, there were 365 members.
Sixteen more companies have signed up as signatories to the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) network in Singapore. The UNGC incorporates 10 principles covering human rights, labour standards, environment and anti-corruption.
More than 70 companies now provide a sustainability report in some form or other. Three years ago, there were no such reports.
Mr Thomas, who has been in Singapore Compact since 2005, was appointed Honorary Professor for CSR by Nottingham University’s Business School recently in recognition of his contribution to CSR in Singapore.
Elaborating on the ramped-up CSR programme, he said the focus is to raise awareness, recruit new members and build capacity.
“We are also taking steps to add value to membership,” he said. “The Singapore Compact website has been revamped and more resource materials added. The aim is to make it a one-stop centre where members can ask questions and raise issues so they can share the CSR journey. Since the revamp, the website has been getting more hits.”
The website includes updates, articles and interviews by partners and members of Singapore Compact’s consultants’ network. It has both resources to raise general awareness of public and exclusive resources for members specifically. A blog has also been created. In due course, it will have an interactive area for members to exchange ideas.
Since January, a monthly e-newsletter has been sent out to update members on developments and upcoming trends.
Singapore Compact will tap on expert consultants in various fields of CSR, and provide more depth over the years as Singapore’s CSR capability grows.
Singapore Compact CSR awards for companies
The Singapore Compact CSR Awards were launched last year to recognize outstanding achievements in how companies behave towards the environment, the local community and their people.
Having received a tremendous response in 2010, the awards opened for submission again this year in April, and closed early in July after receiving 49 entries across 4 categories: Best Workplace Award, Community Developer Award, Caring Employer Award, and Green Champion Award.
The Awards drew submissions from a range of organisations, including private corporations, social enterprises and co-operatives. In addition to the Award winners from each category, 2 organisations received Special Mentions for their commitment to CSR.
The following are the winners:
Community Developer: Citi Singapore
Caring Employer: KFC Management
Green Champion: Samwoh Corporation
Best Workplace: Maybank
Two Special Mention Awards will be given to Adrenaline Events and Education and Mirage Design and Landscape.
Winning companies will receive their awards at the International Singapore Compact CSR Summit 2011 to be held on 5-6 September at Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel.
The Summit
The International Singapore Compact CSR Summit 2011 is being held for the third time. There will be two keynote speeches, one by Guest-of-Honour, Mr Iswaran, and the other by Dr Wayne Visser, Founder and Director of the think-tank CSR International.
Dr Visser will speak on “Sustainability, Next Mega Trend: How True? How to Respond?”
Senior Associate at the University of Cambridge Programme for Sustainability Leadership, and Visiting Professor of Sustainability at Magna Carta College, Oxford, he is also the author/editor of 12 books, nine on the role of business in society.
The second keynote speaker will be Dr Fons Trompenaars, Managing Director, Trompenaars Hampden-Turner of the Netherlands. He will speak on CSR – Sustaining Values for Success.
Fons Trompenaars is a Dutch author and consultant in the field of cross-cultural communication. His books include: Riding the Waves of Culture, Seven Cultures of Capitalism, Building Cross-Cultural Competence, 21 Leaders for the 21st Century and Innovating in a Global Crisis. Trompenaars experienced cultural differences firsthand at home, where he grew up speaking both French and Dutch, and then later at work with Shell in nine countries.
Other subjects to be discussed at the summit will cover investor relations, sustainability reporting, CSR and supply chain management and role of media in CSR.
Singapore Compact for CSR was set up by the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) in 2005 and has been stepping up its efforts to encourage businesses to adopt CSR.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), which has moved on to the next leg with a 60 per cent increase in the number of organisations adopting this principle over the past two years, will now place a greater focus on youth to lay down a CSR foundation for the future. Read more
Standard Chartered Bank, the main sponsor of Liverpool Football Club (LFC), provided youths in Singapore the opportunity of a lifetime: to be trained by LFC legends Ian Rush and Phil Thompson and LFC community coaches.
The half-day football coaching clinic is a joint effort by the Bank and the LFC as part of the Club’s Asia Tour. The event, held at the Singapore Sports School, saw zealous participation by over 50 youths, including 10 from the Singapore Association for the Visually Handicapped (SAVH). The coaching focused on imparting football skills and techniques as well as health and fitness training. There was a customised session for the visually handicapped youth where they were given special guidance.
Rush is the ambassador for Standard Chartered Football Clinics around the world and LFC. Also attending the event were LFC’s community coaches:
Mark Chester, LFC family officer, who manages all community projects targeted at families. He is co-ordinating community activities during the LFC Asia Tour 2011;
Mark Bygroves, Disability Football Development Officer, who manages and delivers the Club’s work with disabled children and adults. He is also a LFC Academy Coach, developing elite young footballers;
Eddie Sullivan, Community Coaching Team Supervisor, who coordinates all LFC football coaching in schools and community centres; and
Anthony Wright, ex-professional footballer and a Community Coach, working with children in schools and community centres.
On the event, Gavin Laws, Group Head, Corporate Affairs, Standard Chartered said:
Football speaks a universal language and our sponsorship of the Liverpool FC gives us the perfect opportunity to engage with and contribute to the local community. Through such clinics, the Bank brings a small piece of Anfield to youngsters in our footprint. So far, we have organised football clinics with Liverpool FC in Kenya, London, Korea and Malaysia. Today, it is a real pleasure to be able to give youths in Singapore the chance to learn new skills in an exciting environment with the support of football legend Ian Rush and the Club’s community coaches. This is also the first time in Singapore that we are conducting a customised football clinic for the visually impaired youths. We look forward to further leveraging our partnership with the Club to make a positive impact on people’s lives and to make a difference.
Rush added:
Wherever I go, I meet fans who have grown up supporting the team I played in and have passed that affection down to their children. Now these youngsters are just as passionate as their parents. It is the same in Singapore, where we were greeted this morning with big smiles by these youths. We were in KL until late last night and the football clinic is the first thing we are doing early this morning. But the joy we bring to these youth makes it all worth it. Liverpool FC has brought me much happiness during my career and now I am delighted to be able to share this happiness and the ‘Liverpool Way’ with our young fans in Singapore.
Adelyn Koh from SAVH said about the day’s activities:
I enjoyed the games, even if it’s tiring. I scored two goals! I feel very happy. I like ball games.
This is the first time that LFC community coaches are training visually impaired children in Singapore, and is an example of how through partnerships, Standard Chartered aims to champion diversity and inclusion in the workplace and the community.
Standard Chartered Bank, the main sponsor of Liverpool Football Club (LFC), provided youths in Singapore the opportunity of a lifetime: to be trained by LFC legends Ian Rush and Phil Thompson and LFC community coaches. Read more
RHB Bank will renew its SGD1.5 million dollar title sponsorship of the Singapore Cup for the third consecutive term from 2011 to 2013. This makes RHB Bank, which has supported the Singapore Cup since 2005, the longest running title sponsor for the prestigious regional football tournament that will see 11 S.League teams and five foreign teams from five countries vying for the coveted title of RHB Singapore Cup champions.
The announcement was made at the inaugural RHB 5-a-side Charity Challenge held this morning at Sports Planet East Coast, where 5-member teams comprising sports journalists, S.League coaches, RHB Bank staff, partners and children from the Boys’ Town and Jamiyah Children’s Home pit their futsal skills for charity. At the achievement of the 50th goal tally, RHB Bank pledged a total of $10,000 to the two participating charities, including donations raised by RHB Bank employees and partners, to commemorate their 50th anniversary celebrations in Singapore this year.
The 2011 RHB Singapore Cup Draw took place after the five-a-side Charity Challenge and threw up some very interesting matchups with an Eastern Derby with Geylang United facing Tampines Rovers while foreign clubs, Okkthar United FC taking on Pattaya United FC.
With this year’s draw comprising of five foreign teams like Pattaya United FC, Okkthar United FC, Young Tigers, Phnom Penh Crown FC and South Melbourne FC, the local fans can expect some thrilling and exciting matches in months to come.
Advisor of the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) Council, Associate Professor Ho Peng Kee, who was the Guest-of-Honour at the event expressed that he was pleased with RHB Bank’s commitment and passion to inject vibrancy into the local and regional football scene, as well as make the sport accessible to more in the community. A/P Ho said:
RHB Bank has been a passionate and dedicated partner to the FAS all these years, never wavering in their support to nurture and grow Singapore football. The new $1.5 million sponsorship will take RHB Bank’s total sponsorship from 2005 till 2013 to a total sum of $4.5 million dollars. That is a strong affirmation of the bank’s support of local football. I am heartened that they will continue to stay with us on this journey to help local football achieve greater heights in the region.
Mr Jason Wong, Singapore Country Head of RHB Bank said:
RHB Bank takes a long term vision and commitment in our business and we take the same approach in nurturing and developing local sporting talents. We are here to support sports development and promotion in Singapore for the long run. The RHB 5-a-side Charity Challenge is also a fun and meaningful way for our staff and partners to give back to the community as part of our 50th anniversary celebrations.
Mr Wong added:
Besides the Singapore Cup title sponsorship, RHB Bank will continue to work closely with the FAS to run community outreach initiatives to introduce football to youths and underprivileged children.
The preliminary round will kick off on 6th June 2011 and the finals will be held on 5th November 2011.
With the strong lineup of teams for the 2011 RHB Singapore Cup and RHB Bank’s announcement to renew their title sponsorship for another three years, local football will continue to grow and thrill the crowds in months to come.
RHB Bank will renew its SGD1.5 million dollar title sponsorship of the Singapore Cup for the third consecutive term from 2011 to 2013. This makes RHB Bank, which has supported the Singapore Cup since 2005, the longest running title sponsor for the prestigious regional football tournament that will see 11 S.League teams and five foreign teams from five countries vying for the coveted title of RHB Singapore Cup champions. Read more
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