Cement company marks 70th anniversary with art auction for marine conservation
A TOTAL of RM1mil was raised in the name of turtle conservation at a recent dinner and auction night hosted by Builds, YTL Cement’s corporate social responsibility arm.
The auction, held online and in real time during the black-tie dinner, featured 70 turtle sculptures made of EcoCem, a low-carbon cement that contains a minimum of 25% recycled material developed by the building materials company.
A group of 51 Malaysian artists and renowned public figures used different mediums to decorate and hand-paint them.
The “Penyu Shell-Ter” project was an art-meets-conservation initiative that addressed the threats facing Malaysia’s endangered turtle populations.
Event emcee Nadia Heng announced that RM383,000 was garnered at the live event, while final bids for the online auction were RM453,000.
A generous donor pledged an additional RM100,000 to boost the fundraising initiative, while YTL Cement contributed the difference of RM64,000 to bring the total amount raised to RM1mil.
Each turtle artwork started with a set price of RM5,000 and by the end of the live event, it was celebrity Datuk Zainal Abidin’s piece that fetched the highest bid of RM50,000.
Zainal credited his daughter, Zaara, 18, for the work that went into the piece titled Vanishing Patterns.
“She did the research, came up with the concept and did the work of painting different sections of the sculpture with the markings and coloration of endangered animals found in Malaysia.
“I contributed only 1% to the artwork by looking at it,” joked Zainal.
After the final hammer fell, the singer was seen thanking the bidder, who presumably made a request for Zainal to sing Hijau, a hit from his 1991 album.
To the delight of the audience, Zainal obliged by performing a verse, sung acapella style.
Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia (TCS) co-founder and executive director Dr Chen Pelf-Nyok, whose organisation is one of the beneficiaries of the charity auction, thanked bidders for their generosity.
“It would have been easy enough for YTL Cement to just write a cheque. But in deciding to plan, organise and host the fundraiser, they have given a deeper meaning to the turtle conservation campaign,” she said.
“It is especially meaningful for us because when a company comes forward and supports our conservation work, we are reminded that we are not alone.”
Chen said turtles played a vital role in the health of marine ecosystems.
They maintain seagrass beds, protect coral reefs by eating up reef smothering algae and dispersing coral larvae through their waste.
They also balance jellyfish populations.
In her speech, YTL Cement executive director Rachel Yeoh said the public campaign on turtle conservation awareness was part of the group’s 70th anniversary celebration.
“In line with that spirit, we are reflecting on our roots as a Malaysian-founded company, the path we have taken to get here and what lies ahead for the next 70 years and beyond,” she said.
“Our mission here is to pay tribute to the people and places that have been a part of our journey, and in so doing, protect endangered creatures that call our waters their home.”
All proceeds from the auction would go to TCS and Marine Conservation and Research Organisation (Pulihara), a non-governmental organisation that also champions the cause of protecting sea turtles.
YTL Cement would also donate RM5,000 on behalf of each artist to an NGO of their choice.
The project was endorsed by the National Art Gallery and supported by YTL Hotels as venue sponsor.
