KUALA LUMPUR: The Festival of Lights came early for some 125 children in Carey Island as they received new bicycles to help make their journey to school a breeze.
The high-performing pupils of Tadika Pulau Carey (south), SJK (T) Pulau Carey (east, west and south) were feted to a Deepavali celebration at Menara Maybank last Wednesday. On top of that, they were gifted with the new bicycles which would mean that they no longer need to rely on lorries as their mode of transportation to school.
Maybank Group Chief Human Capital Officer Nora Manaf said the company awarded the bikes as an acknowledgment for their hard work in pursuit of excellence in their studies.
“This year’s Deepavali celebration is extra special for all of us, as we extended our reach and capabilities to helping communities in need.
“As a group that holds our communities close to our heart, we hope that these gifts will help them travel easily to school,” she said, adding that she hoped the pupils would be encouraged to excel further in their studies.
Nora said prior to the celebration, the proceeds from the “15Malaysia” movie screening for Maybank staff, as well as donations by board members and senior management staff, were used to purchase the bikes.
“Deepavali, like other celebrations, provides the opportunity for our staff to appreciate the rich heritage of the respective communities where Maybank operates.
“The communities in Carey Island are close to our heart as the Maybank Hindu Staff Society members have been engaging with them through various corporate social responsibility initiatives over the past few years,” she added.
At the event, the children took part in the lighting up of the ‘Kuthu Vilakku’, a traditional Indian lamp ceremony to welcome the Festival of Lights.
Decked out in colourful traditional attire, the children were beaming as they received goodie bags and cash gifts.
Maybank staff also joined in the merrymaking with the special guests as they danced and cheered to a traditional performance by a dance troupe from Persatuan Seni Kebudayaan India Greentown.