How MDEC GAIN companies helped social issues in M’sia in COVID-19

[This is a sponsored article with MDEC.]

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the rule, and for many, the new standard has not been easy. Besides having a large portion of the population stuck at work and school from home, many businesses have experienced their regular income streams low or even cut off.

It was tough times like this as a group of local tech companies decided to rise to the occasion and look beyond their own stances or issues.

These companies have a common interest in helping Malaysians navigate the pandemic by helping those in need, and ensuring that the Malaysian community as a whole will be able to contribute to the economy, including the digital economy. This is in line with Malaysian Digital Economy FoundationMDEC vision to create a technologically integrated society in line with Malaysia 5.0.

As the agency charged with driving the digital economy in Malaysia, MDEC’s GAIN Program He has sponsored more than 150 successful tech companies.

The more you know: GAIN stands for “gateway, amplify, invest, nurture”. It is an ongoing initiative that assists technology companies by providing market access, high visibility impact activities, and access to financing and growth facilities through the mentoring system.

Thanks to the start and the help these companies received through the GAIN program, they decided to push it forward with their aggressive community building campaign. Not only are they able to run a very successful global business, but they have also made it a priority to help the nation and give back to those in need.

Here are some stories of how MDEC’s GAIN companies are helping others during the pandemic.

1. Provide practical computers and tablets for students who need them

With schools virtually closed, classes have moved online. But for those in a challenging financial situation, having a PC capable of using their children may be next to impossible.

RentwaysGreen IT Solutions addressed this problem by providing underprivileged schools with working computers for their students. They collect retired computers, which were then restored and wiped out, Breathe new life In devices before passing it on to students.

So far, they have prepared Over 250 refurbished computers For schools in the nation. They worked alongside MDEC to donate several laptops to students at the Tenom Innovation Center, also recently.

Like Rentways, SNS Network, A local technology solutions provider that is also working to meet the needs of schoolchildren during the pandemic.

They donated 15 JOI (hardware brand for SNS) drives and a set of 70 headphones, amplifiers, and printers to SMK Permatang Rawa. This allowed the school to equip its students with tablets for distance learning.

Besides schools, SNS team provided 9 JOI notebooks to the team at Penang Hospice Association to keep doctors and clinicians in touch.

2. Ensure that the B40 families still eat at the table

Those who lost their jobs during the pandemic may struggle to find a new source of income. This can spell disaster for B40 families like most of them Bakr.

Innov8tif, A provider of artificial intelligence solutions to help companies reach more sales and improve traditional processes, a Love donations Program to help meet the social welfare needs of B40 groups in Subang Jaya. Working with MBSJ, they delivered food and grocery vouchers to 200 families Needed in May 2020.

“We understand that when it comes to giving back to the community, any action, big or small, can make a real difference,” said George Lee, CEO of Innov8tif.

3. Providing financial assistance to the affected communities

Some companies have chosen to make financial donations to NGOs and people in need who lack the financial resources for necessities.

Vitrox, Domestic electronic equipment manufacturer filed Malaysian ringgit 1,088,790 From funds to many NGOs, schools and hospitals.

HR platform, Work smart Run ‘Daily salary challenge The employees informed their management of the number of days of their salaries they wanted to donate, which the department then matched. At the end of the challenge, they gathered RM 5,750 And they donated money to Mercy Malaysia, Kitafond And Negara Zoo.

WorkSmartly #GajiSehariChallenge / Image credit: WorkSmartly

4. Launching initiatives on a larger scale

Some large companies have chosen to launch several initiatives to deal with multiple fronts.

One GAIN company that does this is Interactive jungle, A communications platform provider operating in 39 countries, which has benefited from its massive reach to its full potential.

With #ForestCares, contribute essentials 147 families With over 1,100 people in the Temuan Orang Asli community in Damansara Perdana. They have also launched the #Qurban initiative in their branch in Indonesia. Prepared The victim (Animal cattle sacrifice during Eid) to more than 430 people in Indonesia.

But they are not alone in these projects.

In cooperation with Street Feeders from KL (SFOKL), they have provided food and necessities for street friends (the term SFOKL uses for the homeless) in key KL districts through the #CANFeedTheHungry initiative. Initially, they set out to collect RM2,000 but exceeded that goal, and achieved more RM2,700 To use SFOKL.

Return, A mobile virtual network in Malaysia has also chosen to launch several initiatives as well. They set aside 10GB of free high-speed internet for all of their clients, which helped them stay connected during the pandemic and provided 1GB of data per day as well, which is helpful for students who rely on mobile data for their studies.

Some redONE initiatives in 2020 / Image Credit: redONE

To help those looking for job opportunities, they have launched the redONE Preneur Sales Advisor (RPSA) for Connecting more than 10,000 Malaysians to job opportunities. The program helped participants become sales consultants, equipped with professional training and coaching.

The team behind redONE also worked jointly with the Perak state government. They launched the Telcopreneur Perak program to sponsor 1,000 young, unemployed and small business operators to be telecom entrepreneurs.

5. Front line protection

while, MDT innovationsA technology company focused on IoT products, it has chosen to supply the frontline folks of the Immigration, Security and Passports Department with more than 400 boxes of face masks, ensuring the safety of our immigration officers while on duty.

They have also partnered with over 13 NGOs, and have distributed over 400,000 face masks and 4,000 bottles of cleanser to over 16,000 beneficiaries locally.

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These companies have shown that they have aspirations towards achieving shared prosperity and building society deeply rooted in its core value. This is exactly the type of company MDEC hopes to continue to nurture.

“The contributions and actions of these GAIN companies are a reflection of MDEC’s vision of Malaysia 5.0 – the first human society in the technology era. While many of these companies have solutions and innovations working for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), their actions show that they place society at the heart of what is. It does, “says Gopi Jansalingam, MDEC’s vice president of digital business.

“We hope to see more technology companies in Malaysia contributing to society whenever possible as these GAIN companies have done, and to contribute to our nation’s efforts to reach Malaysia Vision 5.0.” Gopi added.

MDEC, with the support of the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia (KKMM), will continue to lead the digital economy forward, ensuring the shared prosperity of many Malaysians along with Malaysia’s achievement of 5.0.

This is achieved through their focus on three strategic pillars to empower Malaysians with digital skills, accelerate digital-powered businesses and attract digital investments.