Since its inception in 2006, Coway Malaysia has grown to become the No.1 brand in wellness and healthy living, an achievement that would not have been possible if not for its commitment in providing sustainable solutions that go beyond just products, and its aspirations in nation-building. The company also has a flourishing philosophy when it comes to taking action to realise a positive change in the communities through its noble corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability efforts. In a recent interview with CSR Malaysia, Kyle Choi Ki Ryong, Managing Director of Coway (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, talks about Coway Malaysia’s mission to maintain the momentum when it comes to sustainability and giving back to the community
When the country was first hit by the global pandemic, Coway Malaysia was one of the first multinational corporations to leap into action in support of frontliners and the country. Recognising the health and safety concerns of the public, the company donated hundreds of air purifiers, thousands of masks and sanitisation kits to the Ministry of Health Malaysia, in addition to a contribution of RM300,000 to the COVID-19 fund, the Royal Malaysia Police Force, food delivery riders and customers.
Coway’s CSR strategy focuses on three key pillars, namely, nature and environment, health and wellbeing, and social and welfare. Its various CSR and sustainability efforts are centred upon these pillars. Since the start of the pandemic, Coway Malaysia has made notable contributions worth more than RM2 million in its support of the frontliners and the country, working with trusted local organisations who are actively helping communities.
“We believe that giving back to the community selflessly will help create sustainable footprints that will pave the way towards a healthier and more convenient world and thus we have extended our CSR efforts to focus on providing clean water access to underprivileged communities, as well as the implementation of ocean conservation and river clean-up initiatives,” shares Choi.
(Managing Director Kyle Choi presenting Coway Malaysia’s contribution to the Ministry of Health (MOH)’s COVID-19 fund)
(Recently, through the We Stand As One campaign, Coway supports MERCY Malaysia Food Aid Programme)
Apart from collaborating with notable organizations, the company’s true spirit for CSR shines especially with its very own initiatives such as the ‘Rasa Sayang’ campaign, which provided Coway customers with value-added services to boost hygiene at home and providing disinfection services at public spaces, police stations, government offices, among others. This year, it has boosted its efforts to reach out to more communities in need.
Recently, in the month of August, Coway had the opportunity to work with MERCY Malaysia for the Food Aid Programme under the ‘We Stand As One’ campaign, ensuring that food packs were distributed to the target groups smoothly and in a timely manner. “The pandemic continues to have significant impacts on the well-being, health and financial stress of an individual. This prompted us to launch the campaign to give our support to the public and to garner the power of coming together as a community to overcome the challenges during these trying times for a better Malaysia,” says Choi.
As a leader in the water industry, one of Coway Malaysia’s key missions is to provide clean and safe water to the community as well as safeguarding the environment in the process. In line with Coway Malaysia’s vision of being the Best Life Solution company, Choi personally saw through many of the company’s successful CSR campaigns, one of the most influential being its own long-term initiative, the Happy Water Project which aims to aid the indigenous people and the underprivileged communities nationwide to have continuous access to clean water. To date, it has paved the way for more than 700 families across Malaysia to gain access to clean and safe water and has developed sanitation facilities and hygiene improvement programmes in the uplifting of the general hygiene level and living conditions of the communities.
(Coway Malaysia Happy Water Project with Orang Asli community)
(Coway Malaysia donating sets of air purifiers to Hospital Kuala Lumpur)
“We felt it was our responsibility to help and provide underprivileged communities the very basic necessities in life such as clean water for their happier and healthier living. Through the Happy Water Project, we’re looking to provide support and continuous clean water access to 1,000 Orang Asli families in Malaysia within 5 years,” says the dynamic leader. “We also aim to consistently educate and empower the communities by equipping them with the ability to change their lives and the people around them for the better. We hope that through our efforts, we will be able to improve their social health and welfare.”
As for the future of CSR at Coway Malaysia, Choi hopes to continue guiding the company in providing the best life solutions to help Malaysians lead a happier and healthier life. “As a company built on the principle of creating a better world, I strongly believe that people are our greatest assets, no matter who you are or where you are from, everyone matters and has the responsibility to help those in need regardless of the effort that can be put forth.”
(Ensuring safety with Coway Disinfection Services at the Dang Wangi District Police HQ)
(Supporting research and training programme by Sunway University iLabs)
The company is also looking to focus its efforts on more long-term partnerships as a means to ensure consistency in building a positive impact on society as a whole. “We are looking forward to our new partnerships with several NGOs namely, EcoKnights, Reef Check Malaysia, MERCY Malaysia, Ronald McDonald House Charities. These projects are on-going as we speak, and will be executed within the next few months. Some of the activities include ocean conservation initiatives through the coral reef restoration programme, river log boom clean-ups, plogging activities and more,” reveals Choi.
Remaining steadfast in its commitment to CSR, Coway Malaysia has redefined what it means to give back to society through its noble initiatives dedicated to the well-being of the communities, despite it being a tough couple of years. “I strongly believe that every single act of kindness, no matter how big or small, and regardless of who you are, will make a long-lasting impact on the lives of people,” says Choi.
“We hope that through our CSR initiatives, we can continue to do more to benefit people and attract more stakeholders to join in the good cause while making the world a better place for our future generations. I believe that all of us can serve the nation better when we come together as one. That’s our ‘Cowayian’ spirit,” says Choi.
