KUALA LUMPUR: Selangor Dredging Berhad (SDB) is committed to giving back to the community by supporting innovative corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects that live up to its brand promise of driving excellence and building lifelong relationships.
Its corporate affairs head Lina Othman said this is part of the company’s philosophy of developing a “modern age community” in which every feature and facility is designed to enhance liveability and is sustainable.
“We also believe in giving back as much as we can – in accordance with our brand promise, ‘Driving excellence, building lifelong relationships’,” she said in an interview.
Lina said SDB targets different communities in need and subjects that are “close to our hearts”.
To this end, the company has two projects – One-Two Juice & One-Two Wash – which involve members of disadvantaged communities, and include initiatives such as providing employment opportunities to people with learning disabilities.
“Individuals with learning disabilities, such as autism and Down’s Syndrome, have few opportunities to make it on their own when they reach adulthood. As such, SDB has embarked on CSR initiatives that offer support and create opportunities for such individuals to acquire skills that will prepare them for a life on their own,” said Lina.
The initiatives, One-Two Juice, a green smoothies bar set up in 2011; and One-Two Wash, which provides car wash services, are managed and run by individuals with learning disabilities. Both the juice bar and car wash are situated as Wisma Selangor Dredging.
“Apart from offering them a channel for employment, the projects undertaken by SDB also enable these individuals to learn and improve their work and social skills,” Lina added.
SDB’s other major CSR project was the Sungai Satu River Rehabilitation Programme, next to its By The Sea development in Batu Ferringhi, Penang.
The RM2 million project, which was completed in June 2013, transformed the 200-metre stretch of the highly-polluted river that leads out to sea, into an environmentally-sustainable, ecological paradise.
Lina said SDB is the first private developer in Malaysia to undertake such a rehabilitation programme, which took about seven months to complete.
The effort won plaudits from the Penang government, and was recognised with a FIABCI award – the highest property recognition in the country – for the rehabilitation of a neglected river and its successful integration into a modern community.
Lina explained that the fully-sustainable system aims to treat and improve the water quality of the river.
“Through the natural removal of pollutants by wetland plants, combined with cutting-edge German bio-engineering technology, the system continuously treats and improves water quality. The rehabilitation system successfully transformed what was originally a Class IV upstream river quality into a Class II downstream river quality,” she added.
On future CSR plans, Lina said SDB is open to working with non-governmental organisations and entities on projects, provided that they are a “right fit” with the company’s CSR principles.
“Some of our future plans include incorporating more green ‘energy efficient’ solutions into our developments. These include items that will let in more light, improve on ventilation, and make the living environment more pleasing – all at reduced running costs,” she said.
To this end, SDB is also looking at working with social enterprises which it feels match what the company believes in.