MSIG Malaysia CEO, Mr Chua Seck Guan (first row, fourth from left) and FAF Founder, Mr Rick Chee (first row, fifth from left) celebrate a joint effort in raising awareness on food wastage and giving back to the community.
Working Together to Reduce Food Wastage and Feed Underprivileged Communities
MSIG in tandem with FAF is committed to reducing food wastage and empower Malaysians to tackle the root cause, which are leftovers
KUALA LUMPUR, 31 October 2016 – Most people fail to realise the amount of food they throw away on a daily basis. From farm to fork, about 95 percent of the food we discard ends up in landfills or combustion facilities, which in the long run will lead to grave consequences to the environment, natural resources and national economy.
To minimise the consequences of this wasteful habit and maximise food usage, MSIG realizes the importance of raising awareness of food wastage, therefore partners with FAF in support of their food bank programme. Since March this year, 213 MSIG staff have volunteered alongside with FAF who amasses near-expiry, non-perishable and halal foods such as canned edibles from food manufacturers, importers, wholesalers, willing donors and thereon turn them into nourishing meals.
Mr Chua Seck Guan, MSIG Malaysia Chief Executive Officer said: “At MSIG, we care about the community and one of the things we, as Malaysians, are passionate about is food. In our endeavour, we want to drive consumers to think about and act on reducing food wastage. It is vital that we do our part and find a way to turn excess food into nutritious meals, which we then share with the less fortunate. Through our partnership with FAF, our employees have dedicated their personal time and gone the extra mile to lend a helping hand to FAF and their noble cause.”
Mr Rick Chee, Founder of Food Aid Foundation explained: “FAF was conceptualised with one mission in mind – to collect unwanted but edible foods and distribute them to those in need. Since then, we have been steadfast with our effort, supported by volunteers from organisations such as MSIG. While monetary help is useful, it is the time and energy invested by our volunteers that we value. After all, it is not only about distributing food to the underprivileged, but also lend a friendly human touch that reinforces how much we care. We are thankful to MSIG and their unfaltering support, and look forward to a long and fruitful partnership for many years to come.”
Recently, MSIG invited FAF to participate in the ‘MSIG CSR Outreach Programme 2016’ on 17 and 19 October, in which FAF contributed a talk – ‘Waste not Want not’ to its staff and agents. The talk raised awareness about food wastage and involved the sharing of tips on how to prevent it.
To date, more than 1,300 underprivileged children and seniors around Klang Valley benefitted from this joint effort. In addition to distributing food, MSIG also gave out basic hygiene kits such as toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo and shower gel in an effort to improve their health and way of living. “Since the start of the partnership, our team at MSIG has gathered a stronger insight about food wastage and how to prevent it, which in the long run has galvanised us to be more mindful of the quantity we buy so that we will not end up wasting it. At the same time, through our volunteer work with FAF, we have reinforced the meaning of community spirit among ourselves. It is undeniable that we look forward to a long and fruitful partnership with FAF in the coming future,” ended Mr Chua.
About MSIG (Malaysia) Bhd
MSIG Insurance (Malaysia) Bhd (“MSIG Malaysia”) is a subsidiary of Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Company, Limited and a member of MS&AD Insurance Group Holding, Inc. (“MS&AD”), one of largest general insurance groups in the world. Headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, MSIG Malaysia is backed by more than 100 years of experience in general insurance and has a network of 20 branches nationwide. For more information on MSIG Malaysia, visit www.msig.com.my or follow MSIG Malaysia at www.facebook.com/MSIGMalaysia.
About FAF
Food Aid Foundation is run by a passionate team who wants to see reduced in food wastage and end hunger in Malaysia. We do this by collecting surplus, salvaged food and grocery products from food producers, manufacturers, distributors and retailers and distributing it to charities and voluntary groups to disseminate to people in need.
As a ‘Food Bank’, we rescue ‘HALAL’ edible but surplus food and groceries from manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers and retailers. This includes product that is out of specification, close to expiry, incorrect labelling, damaged packaging, discontinued promotional products as well as excess stock and customer returns. If the surplus food is not rescued, much of this food would simply go to landfill.
With the expertise and developed comprehensive food handling system with long term solution to rescue surplus food, ensuring safety for distribution & consumption we helped to reduced food wastage and consistently chanelling food to the needy. From our studies, we know that there are pockets of unused food within the food industry that can most certainly be put to and benefit the needy. For more information on Food Aid Foundation, visit http://www.foodaidfoundation.org/ or follow Food Aid Foundation at https://www.facebook.com/foodaidfoundation.
Published by Sin Chew Daily on 4th November 2016
