KUCHING: Corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives should also be extended to rural communities, particularly young people living outside urban areas.
Women, Early Childhood and Community Wellbeing Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah said while such programmes are beneficial to families in the city, communities outside urban areas should also have access to similar support.
She acknowledged that distance, transportation and additional costs could pose challenges in extending such initiatives to communities outside urban areas.
“I know it’s far, it needs transport, and then extra cost. But, well, we never give up hope.
“Maybe one day, Farley and the sponsors will think about having this sort of CSR that can also benefit those in rural areas,” she said when officiating the My Little Moments Community Care Programme 2026 here today (Sept 19).
Fatimah said CSR initiatives could complement the support already provided by the government, with corporate bodies playing a role in reaching people who needed assistance.
She pointed to several government initiatives supporting families at different stages, including assistance for pregnant mothers, the Endowment Fund Sarawak (EFS), support for early childhood education and childcare, as well as the Free Tertiary Education Sarawak (FTES).
“There are many more programmes like this that can be implemented,” she added.
Fatimah said the impact could also be greater when businesses combined their resources and contributions, referring to the involvement of MILK, Farm Fresh Berhad, Pigeon Malaysia and My Little Moments in the initiative.
She said although the companies contributed different forms of assistance, bringing them together made the overall contribution more meaningful to recipients.
“If we work alone, the effect may not be as much as if we combine our energy and resources,” she said.
Fatimah described the programme as a good example for other corporate bodies to emulate, saying it demonstrated how businesses could contribute towards supporting families and communities.
