The film depicts how hearing-impaired folk celebrate CNY.
Bank assists PWDs through public awareness film and economic skills programmes
TO RAISE awareness of the challenges faced by persons with disabilities (PWD), Maybank premiered a Chinese New Year film titled Unspoken.
Centred on the value of “tulus” (sincerity), the film follows deaf girl Lim Bee Chin as she celebrates Chinese New Year with her family.
The film’s director, Pan Wai Ling, who is deaf, said, “This is a film with an important message that communication can take on different forms as long as both parties can understand them.
“I have been waiting for more than 20 years for an opportunity to tell a story like Unspoken because it truly depicts how the hearing-impaired community experiences a celebration like Chinese New Year.”
The film aims to encourage more inclusive Chinese New Year celebrations.
Pan using sign language to direct the film ‘Unspoken’.
Maybank also introduced a work placement programme for PWDs as part of its strategy for building a more inclusive workforce.
Trainees will be provided with eight months of hands-on training and working experience to enhance their skills, confidence and employability.
Maybank has close to 100 trainees on board and will continue to reach out to more PWDs.
This year, the bank will spread this programme to Indonesia, Singapore, Cambodia and the Philippines.
Maybank also prioritises building economic independence in PWDs through initiatives such as the Reach Independence and Sustainable Entrepreneur-ship (RISE) programme which has aided over 33,000 participants across the Asean region.
RISE’s top 40% of participants have achieved an average monthly income increase of over 300%.
The programme will be expanded to Singapore by the end of 2024.
To watch Unspoken, visit https://maybank.my/cny.
For details on Maybank’s work placement programme for PWDs, visit https://bit.ly/maybankwpp.
