To date, RHB Banking Group (“RHB” or “Group”) has contributed a total of RM3.5 million to assist in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Group said the contribution includes a RM1 million cash contribution to the Ministry of Health’s Covid-19 Fund to help ensure continuous supply of personal protective equipment or PPE.
Furthermore, RHB has also channelled RM1 million to Mercy Malaysia to assist against the spread of the pandemic, and also set aside another RM1 million for other relief initiatives that the group is carrying out to help in the fight against the virus, with extra emphasis on humanitarian relief efforts to support B40 families and other vulnerable members of the community.
According to RHB, they had also provided more than 20,000 packed meals for the benefit of about 2,000 frontliners including doctors, nurses and other health workers who are working on different shifts at eight hospitals nationwide that are attending to Covid-19 patients.
“We have committed RM200,000 for this initiative which took place throughout the First Phase to Third Phase of the movement control order (“MCO”) period, which ended on 28 April 2020,” they said in a statment.
“RHB continued to provide packed meals to healthcare professionals and workers throughout the Third Phase MCO extension until 28 April 2020 at eight hospitals nationwide, Khairussaleh Ramli, Group Managing Director of RHB Banking Group said.
“We are pleased to be able to support small catering businesses and their suppliers, enabling them to continue earning income during the MCO period.”
More recently, RHB has also stepped up its effort by setting aside an additional RM300,000 to ease the financial burden of the underprivileged B40 families and deserving members of the community who now face additional hardship as a results of the pandemic.
Thus far, the Group has identified 260 families that would benefit most from this allocation in Malaysia, Cambodia and Laos, as well as 20 local orphanages and shelter homes that are in dire need of financial assistance during these most challenging times.
Khairussaleh said they have increasingly seen the impact of Covid-19 on businesses and individuals, especially amongst vulnerable members of our community who will continue to face challenges in managing their cash flows in the weeks and months ahead.
“Being in the holy month of Ramadhan and with Aidilfitri celebrations following soon thereafter, this financial assistance will, to a certain extent, enable the Muslim families to observe the fasting month and celebrate the festive season in a more appropriate way,” he said, adding that they hope the small contribution from them will help to ease the financial strain of these families and homes.
RHB’s humanitarian relief efforts also extend to providing additional support to its own employees who had been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Through its internal Humanitarian Fund, financial assistance is provided to employees who have been directly impacted by Covid-19 or whose immediate family members have lost jobs or sources of income, received pay cuts, or who have been put on unpaid leave due to the implementation of the MCO.
The RHB Humanitarian Fund is currently on-going and has thus far raised approximately RM450,000 and benefitted about 470 RHB Banking Group employees who qualify for such financial assistance.
