Back for its second year, Celcom is all powered up and ready to charge through the busy streets of KL in the name of charity come Aug 11. In addition to fielding three teams, the telco is also reprising its role as one of the Gold Sponsors of the race.

“The highlight of the Rat Race is raising funds for 20 selected charitable organisations, and Celcom as a caring corporate citizen is just doing its bit to help raise funds for the less fortunate,” says Datuk Seri Jamaludin Ibrahim, Celcom (Malaysia) Bhd chairman as well as Axiata Group Bhd president and group CEO. 

Jamaludin will be among the captains of industry in the CEO category of this year’s race. “This is my second time participating, though the first time was with a different company.  If I can survive again this year, I should be able to participate next year!” he says.

Jamaludin also says it is not often that he gets the opportunity to participate in a healthy activity, represent his company officially, meet his counterparts, contribute to a worthwhile cause and have fun all at the same time. “That’s what encouraged me to take part. In fact, participation by senior management and top executives in events such as the Rat Race should be strongly encouraged.”

Besides Jamaludin, chief corporate officer Mohamed Adlan Ahmad Tajudin, chief transformation officer Anuar Rozhan, senior VP for sales Danny Chew and senior VP for customer management Andreas West will also run in the CEO category.

Jamaludin adds that the Rat Race, now in its 10th year, is practically an institution and has become a highly anticipated annual event for the corporate world. “We at Celcom are looking forward to another great year of getting to know and network with other corporate figures during the race, knowing that it will be for a good cause.”  

ECM Libra
ECM Libra is back for its sixth consecutive year in the Rat Race with five teams and is excited as ever to be pounding the streets of KL on Aug 11.

“It’s a good and healthy way to raise funds for a worthy cause,” says Cynthia Woon, who will be running for the first time. Also making his race debut is Muhammad Nur Firdaus, who signed up for one simple reason — to have fun.

Their teammates Wallace Tan, Joseph Yap and Loo Chee Chong have all experienced the Rat Race before. Tan loves the race for the fun of it as well as the challenge of completing the race dressed in office attire. Yap believes his participation will help encourage more social contributions as well as motivate more teamwork within the company. Loo concurs with Yap, adding that their participation may even encourage more colleagues to sign up for future editions of the race.

OCBC Bank
Two decades after blazing the tracks as a middle distance runner for Perak, OCBC Bank (Malaysia) Bhd’s director and CEO Jeffrey Chew is looking forward to running the streets of KL for both health and heart.

Chew, who will be racing in the CEO category, says, “It’s nice to be fit enough to race. We at OCBC Bank are looking forward to this opportunity to do our bit for society and hope that this gesture will go some way towards easing the burden of the less fortunate.”

Chew, who stays fit by golfing on weekends, also hopes to use the Rat Race as a means of staying healthy. “What better way to do this than by focusing on the reason for the race — that it is ultimately for charity. I hope to shape up and simply enjoy the race while reflecting on the people this effort is for. And I know my other colleagues are actively training to get into shape to take up the challenge ahead,” he adds.

OCBC is fielding two teams in the main race. One of its runners, Lee Weng Khong, is representing his company for the third consecutive year. “The race will certainly serve as a good platform for the team to contribute to charity and have an enjoyable time. We look forward to putting on a good show in the name of charity — in our work outfits! And we are particularly excited by the fact that there are several children’s charities that will benefit from this year’s race, especially since OCBC Bank’s CSR efforts revolve around children,” says Lee.

PricewaterhouseCoopers
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) is another long time supporter of the Rat Race and it’s an annual affair its staff looks forward to — not just for the runners but also the supporters that cheer them on.

Team leader Calvin Jacob says PwC is proud to once again be one of the many participating organisations in this worthy cause. “This is our ninth year participating and yes, we will be back next year, barring any unforeseen circumstances. The race is a great way to foster team spirit. It’s also a fun and different way of giving back to the community,” says Jacob.

Jacob adds that the race itself is for a good cause and proceeds go to charity, which means his team’s time and effort will have an impact. “It’s also nice to see how everyone comes together for the race as part of the team or as supporters.  We get to do our bit for society and raise awareness while building team morale.”

Jacob and his teammates have started training on their own and hope they can get in a few runs together before the race. “It would be nice if we could finish among the top 10 but that’s just a bonus. We’re excited simply to be part of the affair.”

Kuwait Finance House
In the spirit of brotherhood and togetherness, Kuwait Finance House (Malaysia) Bhd (KFHMB), which celebrates its fourth anniversary on Aug 8, 2009, is sending two teams of avid runners for this year’s Rat Race. The bank strongly believes in the syariah principles of fairness and equality, which forms a solid foundation for its daily conduct of business and operations. It is with the same notion that KFHMB supports many CSR initiatives in Malaysia. This year’s team has an interesting mix of disciplines and cultural backgrounds, including a pair of siblings from Pakistan, Osama and Talha Jamshaid Iftikhar. The brothers say fairness and equality is the foundation on which KFHMB’s values is built, and participating in events that contribute to the betterment of society is something that the bank believes in.

“The Rat Race is a great way to display friendly competition, not only among companies, but also within the bank. Due to the overwhelming response, we had to compete in trials held internally,” remarks Azimeer Abdul Manaf, who participated last year.

“Running for charity is indeed a worthy cause. Winning is good too but it shouldn’t be the primary focus. I’m also motivated to race as part of my marathon training programme,” says Sheikh Hafeez, who is making his race debut.

Fellow runner David Pek chips in, “It is an event where all levels of hierarchy in an organisation like KFHMB can participate in the spirit of togetherness. It also shows how committed we are to CSR initiatives.”

“At KFHMB, we always stress the importance of CSR, being a responsible Islamic bank. I echo and support the company’s noble cause via my participation as a way of giving back to society,” says Lenny Wan, who is running for the third consecutive year.
The rest of the team are made up of seasoned runners and newcomers like Narissa Abdul Rashid and Nor Najihah Ibrahim, who are proud to be part of a successful event that has been around for 10 years. “It is a refreshing change of pace as this event encourages bankers and corporate executives alike to sweat it out and run, as compared with our normal work routine at the office,” says Narissa. Nor Najihah adds, “It also creates awareness of contributing to noble charitable causes and promotes a healthy lifestyle.”

Everyone is prepared physically and mentally with their respective training regimes, which includes running at the KLCC Park and kickboxing.

Genting
This year’s Rat Race is set to be a special occasion for Genting as runners from Genting Malaysia Bhd (formerly known as Resorts World Bhd) and Genting Plantations Bhd (formerly known as Asiatic Development Bhd) will participate under their new Genting corporate names, together with holding company Genting Bhd.

Datuk Justin Leong, Genting Bhd’s head of strategic investments and corporate affairs, says the KL Rat Race is a fun and healthy way for corporations to contribute positively to the needy. “We are once again pleased to support this meaningful cause. This year is even more special for us, as the teams from our three Malaysian listed companies will all run for the first time under the Genting brand, a brand that embodies the unity and strengths of a Malaysian-grown multinational company.”

Leong also congratulates The Edge and Bursa Malaysia for their longstanding efforts in organising this race for the 10th consecutive year.

Genting vice-president for corporate affairs Corrinne Ling adds, “As a caring and responsible corporation, Genting supports many charitable bodies, sports associations, educational institutions and health organisations, with the aim of improving the welfare of the community. We encourage all our staff to lead a balanced working lifestyle — work hard, play hard and eat healthy.”

This year, Genting will send a team representing senior managers of various business units. Despite their work commitment, these senior managers have “dusted their old runners” and started training for the race.

Gerard Lim, who will participate in the CEO race, says, “No doubt we’ll do our best to win but what’s more important is that we’re running to support the various charitable organisations and beneficiaries of the race.”

RSM RKT Group
Aesop once said: “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” RSM RKT Group CEO Datuk Robert Teo says the participation of the firm in the Rat Race is in line with its CSR initiatives and will greatly benefit the underprivileged.

“This is my, as well as the firm’s, first time taking part in this beneficial event and it will definitely be an indelible experience. We hope to be able to participate again next year,” says Teo.

He adds, “We have always talked about serving the community, but I believe it is more important that we walk the talk. I want to show others that age or busy work schedules should not be excuses that hinder us from giving back to society.”

Asked to comment on senior management and top executives participating in such events, Teo says, “As leaders in the company, they are the ones that people look up to and respect. I congratulate all of them for setting a good example for their subordinates.”

Glomac
It has become a yearly affair for Glomac to participate in the KL Rat Race and the property developer has been faithfully doing so since 2001. Glomac feels that the Rat Race is about positive outcomes for all who participate and the company is proud to continue lending its support.

Glomac’s COO TC Lee will be leading the charge in his maiden race. “This is my first time and it would certainly be a pleasure to participate again. It’s part of our CSR initiatives and very much in line with our corporate values, being a charity-related event,” he says.

Lee adds that more companies should join the fun race. “Corporate Malaysia must do its bit. While having fun through this event, all the funds generated will be donated to charity to help those who are in need. At the end of the day, it’s a win-win situation for all.”

Berjaya Corp
As a caring corporate citizen, Berjaya has been an ardent supporter of the Rat Race for several years now. The race is an excellent opportunity for the group to do its part by giving something back to society.

“We hope our participation will also encourage a more giving and charitable culture within the group and the public in general.

The Rat Race is a great opportunity for us to contribute to the needy and to encourage the spirit of giving and sharing, both as individuals and as part of a team. It is an alternative fundraiser to help the poor and needy as well as a unique platform for participants to fulfil their CSR initiatives. In short, it is a healthy competition in the name of charity,” it says in a statement.



This article appeared in Corporate page, The Edge Malaysia, Issue 766, Aug 3-9, 2009.