CSR Malaysia is a social project and publication that shares the relentless commitment of Malaysian corporations to support large communities and their fundamental influence as change agents in the socio-economic evolution of Malaysia. Dato’ R. Rajendran, the Chairman and Founder, together with Mr. Lee Seng Chee, Managing Editor, aspires the nation to reach new heights rather than just settling for profits and developing world-class buildings and infrastructure. To encourage sustainable economies, CSR Malaysia has promoted corporate social responsibilities for Malaysian companies. These CSRs initiatives help to bridge the divide among corporate businesses and the needy.
The term “corporate sustainability” means more than just a buzzword for businesses in modern times, according to Dato Rajendran. He added, “Sustainable economic growth promotes jobs and stronger economies while countering the effects of climate change, pollution and other environmental factors. Being sustainable improves health, increases safety, and saves money.” Before the pandemic shut down, CSR Malaysia, with the support of the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development, had organized carnivals and events for corporate and government agencies. These agencies would endorse sustainable communities and welfare programmes to help the needy. Moreover, the efforts involved corporate sustainability as well as shedding light on the cause. On March 20 of 2021, CSR Malaysia partnered with Food Aid Foundation to contribute a heartful moment to several communities and homes. FAF is a valuable partner of CSR Malaysia because the non-government organization repurposes remnant foods from distributors, wholesalers and companies to provide for charitable/welfare homes, refugee communities, poor families and soup kitchens.
Corporate responsibility is important in every stage of a company; hence it should be noted that employees need a watchful eye over it. Dato Rajendran said, “Sustainability concepts should be adopted and integrated into more than one aspect of a business and across many levels of its organization. The practice of sustainability includes consideration and involvement of all the stakeholders while not neglecting the community as well as the environment.” In contrast to top-down policies that generally aim to reduce risk, HR can make a connection between the issues that concern its employees and what the company can do to help them. This helps make employees part of the solution, creates greater personal responsibility and reduces the likelihood of nonconformists damaging the company’s reputation.
When corporate responsibility becomes part of your company culture, it creates a genuine motive. People need to understand a company’s commitment to corporate social responsibility through actions taken daily, not just a public statement once in a blue moon. CSR is not the sole responsibility of HR, in the end, everyone in the organization must uphold their beliefs and values, but HR is the department that has the greatest impact on hiring, personnel management, and learning and development. These activities ensure that CSR permeates the entire business.
Creating a culture that embraces corporate responsibility is key, which is why human resources are important. The areas that HR oversees, which include attracting, recruiting, developing, attracting and retaining talent, must be consistent and can be promoted through corporate social responsibility. Sustainability does not just halt at the environment but it includes people. HR is responsible for supervising learning and development, which is just as important because training programs related to corporate responsibility can also help employees expand their work skills and gain valuable experience while making the world a better place. In using corporate responsibility to promote employee engagement, HR is an important element because, from research, more employees seek goals and meaning at work when few are psychologically related to work.
In 2020, the recipient of the ASEAN HR Award, Angel Tan Li Yoon agreed that human capital is vital for the company’s sustainability and performance. The award by HR HUB.my rewarded Warisan TC Holdings Berhad (WTCH) for establishing an employee-first culture to bring the best out of the employees. Ange said, “Having a people-focused workplace culture has enabled us to attract talent, drive engagement, increase happiness and satisfaction, as well as improve performance. This will increase company productivity, efficiency and the ROI.” She added that WTCH employees are continuously trained and equipped with the relevant skills and knowledge to help employees confidently tackle new challenges. The switch to e-learning in 2020 during the pandemic had ensured that remains in-tact
The CSR Malaysia motto, “Beyond Profits, Making Our World A Better Place”, propels Dato Rajendran that sustainability can be integrated into businesses. He said, “We hope that our stories bring inspiration to our readers, corporate and non-corporate, on the importance of corporate sustainability and social responsibility, and instill noble values in the younger generation, with the hopes that one day they will raise corporate communities that are conscious of sustainability in their businesses.”
