Malique Firdauz (second from left) handing over a mock key for the Proka houses to Majlis Pemulihan Negeri Kelantan chairman Ramli Mohd, as a symbolic gesture of the house handover ceremony to one of the recipients’ representatives.
SUSTAINABILITY is ultimately about people – creating opportunities, improving lives and ensuring that every community has access to safe and dignified living conditions.
Maybank Islamic Bhd (Maybank Islamic) recently organised a groundbreaking ceremony for the development of specially designed homes for people with disabilities (Orang Kelainan Upaya or OKU) at Pusat Pemulihan OKU Kampung Aur (Proka) in Bachok, Kelantan, utilising the bank’s business zakat funds of RM600,000.
The event was held in conjunction with the recent Maybank Group Global CR Day on Sept 27, where employees from all countries in which Maybank operates came together to volunteer in impactful activities that drive meaningful change in the communities they serve.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the Proka houses, followed by the presentation of symbolic keys to representatives of five families was attended by Maybank Islamic director Datuk Zainal Izlan Zainal Abidin, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK) vice-chancellor Prof Dr Arham Abdullah and the bank’s senior management.
UMK is the implementing partner of this project which aims not just to build the five houses but to ensure that each home will be designed OKU-friendly and equipped with basic infrastructure facilities such as drainage, water supply, sewerage and telecommunications facilities.
Inclusive housing
(From left) Maybank Islamic officer-in-charge (OIC) Malique Firdauz Ahmad Sidique, Zainal Izlan, Prof Arham and Maybank regional director (Pahang, Kelantan and Terengganu) Datuk Ahmad Farid Qoureshmi at the groundbreaking ceremony for the development of specially designed homes for people with disabilities at Pusat Pemulihan OKU Kampung Aur (Proka) in Bachok, Kelantan.
Currently, the houses in Proka are not safe to live in. Built from timber in the 1980s, these residences are in poor condition and require major refurbishment. They are also highly vulnerable to fire, posing serious risks to residents. The houses tend to be overcrowded too.
The project will be rolled out in phases from September 2025 to August 2026, with a focus on ensuring every home meets proper standards for the convenience of the OKU. The project is a continuation of the RM500,000 Ayam Kampung Kacuk poultry farming project funded also by Maybank Islamic in 2022, bringing the total value of Maybank Islamic-funded projects for Proka families to over RM1mil.
The poultry farming project was to help the OKU community in Bachok to venture into chicken-rearing activities in the village’s 12 coops, one coop shared by two families. Nine of the 12 coops are sponsored by Maybank Islamic. One of the Proka residents, Mohammed Farizhol Juhari, 49 said: “My family of seven is very grateful for this new house. We are excited and look forward to a more comfortable and safer home soon.”
He added that his participation in the Proka poultry-farming activity since 2022 has also helped ease his financial burden in caring for his family. Proka was established in 1981 on 22ha of land, aimed at agricultural training and small and medium industries for OKU individuals in Bachok.
Since 2022, Maybank Islamic collaborated with UMK’s Institut Penyelidikan dan Pengurusan Kemiskinan which has been playing a crucial role in enhancing Proka’s development, particularly by supporting entrepreneurship initiatives for OKU individuals.
Sustainable commitment
Proka residents Mohammed Farizhol and his wife during a sharing session at the event in Kelantan.
Maybank Islamic believes that its contribution of over RM1mil here, thus far, is in line with the bank’s mission to demonstrate its dedication to driving meaningful change in environmental responsibility, community empowerment and education – all aligned with Maybank Group’s sustainability roadmap as well as its environmental, social and governance ambitions.
Alongside the groundbreaking ceremony, Maybank Islamic volunteers spent half a day at the Proka village in several gotong royong activities such as cleaning chicken coops and surrounding areas.
The annual Maybank Global CR Day is one of the many initiatives to showcase the Maybank Group’s commitment to delivering on its sustainability goals, namely to improve two million households across Asean to achieve one million hours of volunteerism and to deliver 1,000 impactful UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)-related outcomes.
Maybank Islamic’s initiative in Proka addresses three UNSDG outcomes: SDG 1 on No Poverty by providing better housing for OKU communities, SDG 3 on Good Health and Well-being by ensuring safe and hygienic living conditions and SDG 11 on Sustainable Cities and Communities by improving urban infrastructure and resilience.
The event mentioned in the article took place on Sept 27 when Malique Firdauz was the OIC of the bank. On Oct 1, Mohamad Yasin Abdullah was appointed as the new Maybank Islamic chief executive officer.
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