KUCHING: The newly launched Pay & Go eDonation Platform is set to make it easier for the public to support humanitarian and charitable causes through digital contributions.
Minister of Women, Early Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah said the platform provided a convenient digital channel for the public to contribute to supported humanitarian and charitable causes.
She said its launch today (Sept 9), held alongside the signing of the eDonation Collaboration Agreement between the Malaysian Red Crescent Society Sarawak Chapter and Pay & Go Sdn Bhd, is an important step in bringing together technology, humanitarian service and the spirit of giving.
“Beyond the technology, beyond the platform and beyond the digital transaction, what we are really celebrating today is something much more meaningful — the ability to make it easier for people to help other people,” she said.
Fatimah said the platform could help address some of the challenges involved in channelling financial assistance to humanitarian and community organisations.
She also stressed that organisations included on the platform must be credible, licensed to collect funds, financially transparent, impactful and sustainable.
“For an NGO to be included in that supermarket of charitable bodies, it must be an NGO which is credible, which has a licence to collect funds, and also in terms of the target group that it has identified, impactful and sustainable,” she said.
Fatimah said humanitarian organisations plays an important role in supporting vulnerable communities, particularly those affected by poverty, illness and disasters.
“For example, we have cancer patients from rural areas who have to leave their villages and longhouses to undergo chemotherapy or radiotherapy. They need transportation to hospitals, accommodation and food while undergoing treatment,” she said.
Fatimah also highlighted water shortages in some rural areas during the current drought, saying assistance could be channelled to communities in need.
Meanwhile, Malaysian Red Crescent Society Sarawak Chapter chairperson Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan Hong Nam said the launch marked the beginning of a wider humanitarian partnership ecosystem in Sarawak.
He said the ecosystem would bring together the government, businesses, civil society, philanthropists, volunteers and ordinary citizens towards a common goal of supporting people in need.
“Humanitarian challenges are becoming more complex. Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of disasters, while ageing communities, rising healthcare demands and economic uncertainty are placing greater pressure on vulnerable families. Humanitarian organisations such as the Malaysian Red Crescent can no longer rely solely on traditional fundraising methods. We must embrace innovation while remaining anchored in humanitarian principles,” he added.
Chan said the collaboration with Pay & Go demonstrated how technology could strengthen humanitarian efforts.
“Pay & Go is contributing much more than technology. It is demonstrating how innovation can strengthen humanity,” he said.
He added the platform could remove barriers between people who wanted to help and those who needed help, while allowing the private sector to become an active humanitarian partner.
