At Media Prima Berhad, we are evolving in the way we do business. Profits are not the only measurement for success; instead we are now looking at how we impact the communities around us. CR is not a company policy; it is a criterion for every business and operational decision we make. We do it simply because it is the right thing to do, and the time is always right to do the right thing.
Community Investment and Engagement
Charity and community support Our position as a national broadcaster gives us a unique opportunity to bring attention to social and environmental issues. We collaborate with a range of charities and voluntary organisations to make entertaining programmes that raise awareness on issues of key importance to the Malaysian public. A summary of our charitable contributions is presented below
CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS
| 2009 | |
| In kind (RM) | 36,175,280.00 |
| Cash (RM) | 1,105,300.00 |
We have found that Public Service Announcements (PSAs) is an effective way for us to help promote awareness about a range of important social issues. Through an array of our businesses' media resources in print, interactive media and television, we provide in-kind media support by sponsoring air time to various non-profit organisations.
We have only started accounting for our contributions in kind including cost of free airtime provided as of 2009 and we hope to provide full accounting of free airtime and costs for all our networks in future.
8TV is actively involved in supporting community service messages like the Breast Cancer Awareness, AIDS Awareness and collaborated with UNICEF to promote World Children's Day. GUA has been and still is a supporter of the Malaysian AIDS Council (MAC).
This is shown through the involvement of GUA TV's personality, Shah Shamshiri who is also one of the supporting celebrities of the Red Ribbon Programme along with other celebrities like Dato' Siti Nurhaliza, Faizal Tahir, Dayang Nurfaizah and a few others. In supporting their cause, GUA TV and GUA editorial were included to give exclusive coverage on MAC events such as the 'The National Advocacy Programme and Majlis Berbuka Puasa Terengganu' co-organized by MAC, JAKIM, and the Terengganu Department of Health Development during the month of Ramadhan. This event also saw the presence of Faizal Tahir, Dayang Nurfaizah and Shah Shamshiri, as Supporting Celebrities of the Red Ribbon Programme. Single mothers and their children from the community were also invited as special guests during the event.
GUA 2nd Anniversary
GUA invited 20 children from related homes under the Malaysian AIDS Council Community as guests during the 2nd GUA anniversary. They were celebrated and treated to a feast with participating celebrities at the event which also doubled up as a 'Fast-breaking ceremony' during the month of Ramadhan.
Other MAC events attended by GUA were the 'Forum Perdana' at the Federal Mosque, and the Deepa-Raya Open House with the community in Setapak. These coverage were shown online and on TV9's interactive slot Gua @ 9.
Fund Raising
We have lent our support to numerous projects in the past, in terms of fund raising for charitable causes. In these projects, we provide both staff and financial support coupled together with our wide media outreach. Some of these projects have been on-going for a number of years now:
1. Tabung TV3, Bersamamu
Bersamamu managed to raise a total of RM303,831.41 in 2009. Throughout the year, contributions from Bersamamu have been distributed to various charitable organisations. The fund is managed by an independent body, Amanah Raya Berhad (ARB) as its trustee and all pay-outs made are based on the review and approvals by ARB.
2. The General Tabung TV3
The General Tabung TV3 was created in 2002 initially for the purpose of aiding those in need. Over the years it has evolved to support a wide range of causes. The fund now stands at RM19,863.90 as of December 2009.
3. Fund Raising Campaign for Palestinians in Gaza
We have been running a fund raisingcampaign for the Palestinians on the Gaza Strip in 2009. The fund raising efforts were officially closed on 7 March with a total collection of RM9.6 million received from public and corporate organisations. Donations were received via cash, cheque or Maybank ATM machine and Maybank2u internet transactions. The Fund was distributed to:
4. Anugerah Bintang Popular Berita Harian (ABPBH 2008) for Gaza
We supported a charity sale organizedby ABPBH2008's organising committees. The funds collected (close to RM60,000) were channeled to the NSTP Fund For Gaza. The charity sale was held at Amcorp Mall on 31 January 2009.
Over 100 local artistes and celebrities participated. Activities conducted included:
5. Tabung Bencana NSTP-Media Prima
A fund raising campaign was initiated on 1 October 2009 to provide assistance to the victims of the recent natural disasters in Asean region - Typhoon Ketsana in Vietnam and Philippines and earthquake in Padang, Indonesia. The campaign promotion appeared in the NSTP newspapers and Media Prima's TV & radio stations was collected and channeled to survivors of the disaster.
6. Kempen 1Ringgit 1 Malaysia
We also provided support to a fund raising campaign organized by Yayasan Kebajikan Atlet Kebangsaan (YAKEB) to help Malaysia's needy current or ex-national athletes. The fund was launched on 15 June 2009 by its patron, Datin Paduka Seri Rosmah Mansor. The 2-month campaign was extended until end of December 2009 and succeeded in raising RM100,000.00.
In support for the cause, Media Prima also provided coverage and interviews with relevant personnel, group donation presentation, campaign's launch and charity dinner. Our regular programme Bersamamu also ran a special 13-episode session on the plight of ex-national athletes to help boost the campaign.
The campaign was highlighted in the Sport sections of all NSTP newspapers throughout the campaign period. NSTP also placed donation boxes at Balai Berita and 11 branch offices nationwide. NSTP also offered Balai Berita as the venue for group donation presentation. Stories highlighted included the plight of the athletes and their contributions to the country; which were well received by the readers. On the whole, we found that that the campaign helped to create greater awareness on the good roles and objectives of the newly formed YAKEB, a foundation to assist current and ex-national athletes.
7. NSTP Charity Fund
A trust fund set up in 1991 to offer financial aid to young Malaysians who cannot afford treatment on heart problems, leukemia and cancer as well as to acquire artificial limbs and legs. Funds collected from public donation via articles appeared in NSTP's group of newspapers as well as from fund raising events organized by NSTP & partners. To date, up to RM3.8 million have already being utilized for 255 deserving patients.
8. CEO and Celebrity Charity Tennis 2009
As a continuation of our efforts the previous year, we participated again in a fund raising event jointly organized by NSTP and Bursa Malaysia with LTAM as Venue and Technical Provider and ntv7 as the media partner. The event was held for the second year on 13 December 2009 at National Tennis Complex, Jalan Duta, Kuala Lumpur in conjunction with the ECM Libra Foundation - LTAM Junior Tennis Championship. Apart from raising monies for the NSTP Charity Fund, it is also helped to revive the interest in tennis among young generation.
Participation is by invitation only to CEOs, ambassadors and celebrities. No entry fees were imposed but participants are required to donate any amount to the Fund. A total of RM77,600 collected from players via cash/cheque donation and auction of tennis collectors' items.
We found that the event provided an avenue for readers and general public to contribute towards a worthy cause managed by a trusted body. The Fund has its own Board of Trustees, and audited annually by an established auditing firm.
The funds contributed was highly appreciated by recipients families who otherwise have no other financial means to save the lives of their loved ones We also were able to establish and maintain good and close working relationships with government and caring private hospitals. They diligently provide referral cases that meet the Fund's criteria.
In 2009, the CEO & Celebrity Charity Tennis received better response in terms of participation and collection. A total of 52 players took part and RM77,600 was raised, as compared to 44 players and RM75,500 raised in 2008.
9. Nadi 1Malaysia
As a change in fund raising event activities, we ran a twelve-hour on-air charity campaign on 12 November 2009, raising up to RM230,000. About half of the amount came in days after the campaign. We found that this type of campaign was reaching a new set of audience not covered previously by NSTP newspapers, particularly the younger generation.
Arising from this, we have set a new record for NSTP Charity Fund's fundraisingactivity, in the amount raised, as compared to previous campaigns. The campaign also created a greater awareness of the Charity Fund among the different target audiences of the radio stations.
Semarak Ramadhan Berita Harian
An inaugural event organised by Berita Harian to celebrate Ramadhan month with local residents at selected areas. Eight (8) places were visited:
We found that this event was a meaningful way to show our appreciation to our Muslim readers in the holy month of Ramadhan; and was very well received by the local community. Sponsors contributed to this success by donating appropriate items to the local suraus/mosques or community. Arising from this, we were also able to improve our working relationship with local ADUNs and community groups.
Titipan Kasih Bersama Harian Metro
Titipan Kasih is another an inaugural event organized by Harian Metro to help orphans, single mothers and poor families in the spirit of Ramadhan and Hari Raya Aidilfitri. Participating sponsors were Nestle, Tesco, Padiberas Nasional Berhad, Sani Express, Takaful Ikhlas and Adabi Consumer Industries. We visited 2 places; being Tenggara, Johor & Jengka 3, Pahang.
Apart from handing out gifts and items to the participants, the event was also a good platform for Harian Metro editorial staff and other NSTP units to lend a hand in improving the local community by joining efforts in a gotong royong effort.
SUPPORTING THE ARTS
From 21 October to 6 November 2009,we held the Pahang Art Exhibition at Sri Pentas. This is the first time we have held an art exhibition featuring 160 art pieces by local artists. The exposure given also resulted in the sale of some of the art works.
Photo Exhibitions
At NSTP we regularly run photo exhibitions to provide an avenue for talented photographers in Malaysia to show their works. This year, we held a total of 3 major events:
Arising from the exhibition, we have had numerous requests for the photographs exhibited from foreign publications and TV channels such as the History Channel, National Geographic and Discovery Channel. Foreign agencies like AFP, Reuters, AP and EPA (European Press Photo Agency). This represents a great opportunity and recognition of the talents of our nation's photographers.
EDUCATION
Excellent schools and well-educated citizens are critical building blocks for economic vitality and a desirable quality of life in the communities where we live and work. Not only do companies need technologically skilled people, but the next generation of every nation needs a strong work force and business leaders in order to prosper and innovate.
In 2009, we continued our programme with SMK Hutchings and SMK Jelutong in Penang as part of our PINTAR Programme. Activities such as motivational talks for PMR and SPM students, examination workshops, academic excellence award, family day, study visits to Sri Pentas and student leadership camps as suggested in 2007 were implemented, and we can see an improvement in the students' achievements in 5 key areas.These are:
We have developed activities with both schools to help develop the 5 key areas above and they were:.
While both SMK Hutchings and SMK Jelutong are considered under-preforming schools, with students coming from underprivileged backgrounds, SMK Jelutong's average marks for PMR and SPM had increased from 2006 (year of adoption) to 2008 as shown in the graph below – the passing rate for the PMR examination increased by 20% since 2006. At the same time, SMK Hutchings' PMR results had shown an average increase of 18% for Bahasa Malaysia, History, Mathematics, and Chinese Language in 2008. For 2009, at the time of publication of this report, the academic results for both schools have yet to be tabulated and submitted.
We believe that the best testimonial of our involvement with the schools come not from publishing data on school performance but through the schools themselves. In 2006, SMK Jelutong was ranked among the bottom 5 schools in terms of overall reputation in Penang i.e. 104th out of 109 schools. Three years later in 2009, with Media Prima's aid and contributions they climbed 27 rungs to be 77th/109 schools in Penang.
SCHOLARSHIP FUND
The 8TV scholarship fund was established in 2006 to provide education opportunities to deserving students in the country. Successful students received scholarships that covered their tuition fees for their undergraduate degree, diploma and foundation levels in disciplines such as Psychology, Accounting, Business & Management, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Construction Management, Information Technology, Mass Communication, Interior Design, Marketing and Graphic Design.
The Fund initially started with RM300,00.00 and had supported nine deserving students to pursue diploma or degree programs. In 2007, the fund was increased to RM800,000 and 21 students were found to be deserving the scholarships. In 2009, a total of 37 students were awarded with scholarships worth RM1,000,000.00 in 2009 in the fieldsas detailed below:
Other educational programmes which we run regularly are:
NST School Sponsorship Programme Our NST School Sponsorship Programme was launched by the Minister of Education on 15 August 2005 with the objective to enhance proficiency of English language among primary and secondary students from rural and semi-urban government funded schools. Under this programme, corporate or individuals are able to adopt a school under the Ministry's most needy list and sponsor the purchase of newspapers to these schools.
In support, NST-NIE organized newspaperin- education workshops to teachers and students in these schools. For 2009, a total of 7 individuals and 155 corporate companies sponsored a total of 214,512 copies of NST for 137 schools.
Since 2005, about 5 million sponsored copies of NST have been sent to 2,125 schools nationwide. We have found thatthere has been a general improvement in the level of students' English performance since the programme began. We have found that the copies of the NST sent to the schools have been used as an additional teaching tool in the classroom by teachers to promote awareness of current events and to improve levels of English. We have also found that since the programme began, we have improved our relationship with the State Education departments and participating schools.
Newspaper-In-Education (NIE) workshops Every year, our group of companies organise NIE workshops exclusively and provided free of charge for teachers and students under NST School Sponsorship Programme. The workshops were held from January - November 2009:
a. NIE workshops for teachers We held a total of 5 workshops in KL, Johor, Ipoh, Kelantan and Terengganu for teachers. A total of 247 teachers attended these workshops. In these workshops, participants were taught on the usage of NST to teach spelling, oral communication and writing
b. Creative Writing workshops for students A total of 17 workshops were held nationwide, attended by 1748 students and 340 teachers. Participants were taught creative writing method using NST as a tool
RHB-New Straits Times (NST) Spell-It-
Right Challenge 2009
Since 2008, the NST have been organising a nationwide spelling competition together with the RHB Banking Group. The aim of the competition is to encourage the use of English in a fun way and to promote the use of the newspaper as an educational tool among primary and secondary students in the government funded schools.
This year, a total of 2,472 students from 248 primary schools and 370 secondary schools participated in the competition which were held in two parts: State challenge was held from 2 May until 12 July 2009, culminating in the National challenge on 8 August 2009 held at the Technology Park Malaysia, Bukit Jalil. Both challenges were recorded and televised on TV3. This year the National winner was Kenneth Wu of SK St PaulSeremban, at the primary school category and Tee Fu Yuan from SMK Kwong Hua Klang, the secondary school winner.
Other NST-NIE activities
Apart from running the school sponsorship and educational workshops, we also sponsor various other workshops:
a. School Programme Workshops Fee-based workshops that lead participants through creative initiatives to improve their language and communications skills
b. School Holidays Programme Workshops About 1,000 students from the ages of 7 to 17 years participated in these workshops held during the school holiday periods throughout the year.
c. Community Development Workshops The objective of these workshops is to develop communication skills of target students under programmes conducted by participating organisations.
d. Inside Scoop Series programme fee-based programmes held over the weekend, designed to cater to the needs of school-leavers and working adults looking for personal development programmes of a skillbased nature.
We also utilise other forms of multimedia communication to reach out to our audiences. In particular, we have found it important to reach out to the younger generations to raise awareness on the need to improve themselves and to provide avenues for the younger generations to participate in worthy causes. Some of our programmes include:
a. Niexter
Launched in January 2009 as an avenue for the voices of the young and develop writing and communicative skills, Niexter is a 4-page pullout for teens every Thursday in NST
b. U-Phoria
U-Phoria is a WAP site (on mobile) that targets the 18 to 25 year olds. Launched on 1 August, the site is managed by youth Mojos (mobile journalists) who are currently employed or students in colleges. They write stories, share opinions and cover events on U-phoria
c. Niexus
Niexus is an e-learning site to support the school programmes and Niexter, targeting age group between 7 to 17 years
d. Nietwork
Nietwork is another e-learning site to support the News@Work programme and provides forum for participants to improve the language and networking skills online
ANUGERAH PELAJAR CEMERLANG BERITA HARIAN
In recognition of high-achieving students, we organised the Anugerah Pelajar Cemerlang Berita Harian. This year, the awards presentation ceremony was held at Balai Berita Bangsar on 13 October 2009. The award is aimed at rewarding all round students who excelled in their exams (UPSR, PMR and SPM 2008) and are active in extra curriculum activities. Recipients must have attended educational programmes/workshops organized by Berita Harian. This year, 15 students were rewarded (5 students each for UPSR, PMR and SPM). Each recipient received a plaque, cash money, certificate of excellence and sponsored books from Cerdik Publications Sdn Bhd.