Bank employees raise RM145,000

Staff from OCBC Bank’s KL Main branch holding the mock cheque for Malaysian CARE’s Employment Transition Programme.

STAFF across six OCBC Bank (M) Bhd divisions and branches collaborated to contribute RM145,000 to non-profit organisation Malaysian CARE to prepare people with learning disabilities for work life.

The donation will aid Malaysian CARE to systematically help 40 people with learning disabilities over a 12-month period to prepare for the marketplace and become more independent.

The Employment Transition Programme sponsored by the bank will enable Malaysian CARE to focus on capacity building and develop training materials, assessment tools and monitoring and evaluation systems.

Malaysian CARE community development senior director Pauline Wong said the organisation was now able to reinstate many long-term development projects at the grassroots level that stalled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The donation from OCBC Bank has come at an opportune time. Malaysian CARE has been dedicated to reaching out to needy communities for the past 43 years, but Covid-19 hindered our mission significantly.

“The Employment Transition Programme fills an identified gap. In open employment, we have seen the government and the private sector take steps towards being more inclusive.

“Young adults with special needs with opportunities tend to be on the higher-functioning spectrum. However, the ones on the lower end do not have sufficient opportunities due to lack of comprehensive training and awareness on the part of the employer,” said Wong.

OCBC Bank chief executive officer Datuk Ong Eng Bin, who contributed RM20,000 to the cause, said throughout the bank’s 90-year history, it strived to enable individuals, SMEs and businesses to build a more sustainable future.

“With the right support, people with learning disabilities are more than capable of leading fulfilling, independent lives.

“Malaysian CARE’s Employment Transition Programme serves as a shining example of inclusiveness, where everyone is given a chance to become independent through gainful employment,” he said, hoping their contribution would greatly benefit those in need of support.