SOPPOA donates RM500,000 to SDMC as Covid-19 prevention effort

Andrew (second left) presenting the RM500,000 mock cheque to Uggah, witnessed by other officials from SOPPOA.

KUCHING, July 8: The State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) has received a donation of RM500,000 from the Sarawak Oil Palm Plantation Owners Association (SOPPOA) as an effort to help in fighting against the spread of Covid-19 and its prevention, in the state.

According to SOPPOA chairman Tiong Chiong Ong, the voluntary contributions came from the generosity of SOPPOA’s plantation companies and associates, who have been operating under strict guidelines and standard operating procedure (SOP), during the Movement Control Order (MCO) period.

“We are most appreciative of the huge amount of sacrifices made by the SDMC in the relentless efforts to keep the public safe and protected us against Covid-19 infection since MCO began in March 2020 until now.

“SOPPOA’s donation is part of our community effort to equip our frontliners with the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) and others, in order to save Covid-19 patients and providing care for those families who are in dire need of food and medical assistance,” said Tiong in a press statement, today.

Tiong noted that the newly adopted cultures of Covid prevention practices of conducting business have also helped to improve the overall hygienic working conditions among SOPPOA members’ estates, mills and refineries, as well as being part of the plantation sustainability practices.

He also assured that the current Covid-19 prevention guidelines will continue to be practiced and monitored to full compliance by SOPPOA members, until further development from SDMC.

He added that in April this year, SOPPOA has also donated a total of RM20,000 to the 3D Printers Union to help them to fabricate more PPEs for the frontliners in the government hospitals, as another commitment of their ongoing corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities.

The RM500,000 cheque was presented to Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, who is also SDMC chairman, by SOPPOA’s chief executive officer Andrew Cheng Mui Fah. –DayakDaily.