THERE WERE ONLY TWO WEEKS before the ‘big event’ when the company decided to come forward and take it as one of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities. An email was sent to all staff and as many as 30 members came forward to volunteer. It was a very good number indeed. And it’s also very good to realise that the Protasco citizens have indiscriminating big hearts.

The event in focus was a carnival organised by a charitable organisation, the Montfort Youth Centre in Kampung Ayer Salak, Melaka, held on June 8th, 2008. The volunteers used the two weeks to brainstorm ideas and to put them together for the two stalls that the company has taken up to ‘sell’ goodies in the name of charity.

The two weeks were also used to gather clothes and other items for a jumble sale. There were also sales of raffle tickets prior to the carnival at both the Kajang and KL offices. During the carnival, at every hour, 10 names were picked out of the bowl of ticket stubs that were then announced as winners. The grand prize was a microwave oven.

There were a good spread of delicacies on offer at the Protasco stall - beautiful cupcakes, frozen yogurts and jellies, noodles, pastries, muruku’s and bahulu’s. The foods were almost all sold out from the very beginning!

The company’s stalls were also the most popular with kids – having been the only one that has a ‘sand art’ activity. And while the kids have fun adding colourful sands to their artworks, the mummy’s had a good time ‘browsing’ through clothes and miscellaneous items at the Protasco’s jumble sale.

As the carnival ends, the company managed to collect more than RM3,800 for the Centre. This was in addition to the cash

contributions of RM40,000 raised by the management,

staff and friends of Protasco Berhad.

The company has not forgotten the energy and sweat poured in by the volunteers either. As a token of appreciation by the company, the volunteers ended their day in Melaka with some scrumptious Melaka-style ‘ikan bakar’.

Unquestionably, CSR has a strong correlation with good

business – it gives the company a good name, opportunity for the staff to do good, and of course, most importantly, the less fortunate received help.