TM: With Great Power Comes Great Responsibilities

During the 2022 flood disaster, TM took action to aid affected B40 families. The corporation donated resources and deployed employees to assist on-site, extending a helping hand. TM’s commitment went beyond immediate aid – it also collaborated with government agencies to offer crucial training resources to help these families navigate financial recovery in the aftermath of the disaster.

Nuraini Ishak, Assistant Manager of Humanitarian Aid at Yayasan TM, highlights that this initiative is among the numerous engagements TM has undertaken as part of its journey towards sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Nuraini was personally among the employees on the ground providing assistance to the flood victims. “I’ve been with TM for about 10 years or so on corporate sustainability. Throughout this period, we’ve connected with every level of the community with our programmes - students, B40 families, entrepreneurs – all through our CSR initiative, Yayasan TM,” shares Nuraini.

She further elaborates on Yayasan TM’s structure, highlighting three core pillars: Education, Community and Nation Building, and Art, Culture and Heritage. An additional noteworthy initiative under its Education pillar is Yayasan TM’s scholarship programme, which has supported more than 18,000 deserving scholars, amounting to RM600 million in educational funding to date. Nuraini also mentions that the company maintains two museums – Museum Telekom in Kuala Lumpur and Museum Telegraph in Taiping – as part of its commitment to preserving Art, Culture and Heritage.

These initiatives aren’t a recent addition for the company; they’ve been ingrained in TM’s DNA for a long time. TM’s values are deeply rooted in its commitment to serving the community as a major corporation, reflecting its ongoing corporate responsibility. “As a big corporation like TM, we need to pay more attention to our sustainability efforts because with great power comes great responsibilities. TM is a mega company in today’s business landscape, and it plays a big role in preserving the resources we use. This is where corporate sustainability comes in for the future of our next generation. We should be the caretakers because we have the power to do so,” says Syarifah Nurizni, Head of Internal Communications.

However, upholding this corporate responsibility can pose a significant challenge for many companies, as noted by Chu Chin Huei, Assistant General Manager of Marketing and Promo, especially when it comes to budgetary constraints.

“It takes a lot of money to be involved in sustainability initiatives. For example, our museums are in old buildings. To sustain them, we need to fork out a huge budget for maintenance. These costs can be a big concern to a lot of companies. Another example is the return of investments for sustainability programmes. We are talking about cutting electricity usage by using LED and green air conditioning technology. Investing into these systems will cost a bomb and you can only see the returns in 10, 20 years. Therefore, companies really need to think about the investments they are making when it comes to sustainability,” he adds.

Indeed, the outcomes of sustainability efforts often take time to manifest. Nevertheless, embracing sustainability presents an opportunity for companies to contribute to the community. “We need to do more, to create awareness. Sustainability is not just a short-term idea. It is long term, but we need to start today for tomorrow,” Nuraini emphasises.

The changing mindset, particularly among the new generation, necessitates companies to adopt a more active role. “According to Deloitte’s research, nine out of 10 millennials prefer companies that pay more attention to the environment and ESG issues. From there, we can see a shift already. The new generation is watching us closely, to see what we are doing to keep the environment safe for the future. With mindsets changing, companies need to change as well,” says Syarifah.

And it doesn’t need to be a monumental effort. As the saying goes, every small action matters. In sustainability, this holds true because it begins with individual intentions. “Sustainability often feels like it is a big concept, but we can begin small. Like being responsible for our very own actions, not just the company’s. I believe that having awareness of the wastage we are creating is a great starting point. When you start realising the impact you’re causing, you’ll see the need for sustainability,” says Chu.

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Photo by Lucas Clara on Unsplash.