Archive for category: Featured News

Kuching (Sarawak), Friday, 28 September 2018 – Whilst PPES Works (Sarawak) Sdn Bhd has for several months taken every preventative measure to eradicate Aedes mosquitoes at their Sarawak Museum Campus and Heritage Trail site, the recent news that six of their onsite staff and three people from surrounding areas had been exposed to dengue has driven the company to take their efforts to the next level.

Andy Lee Kuok Ping, Site Project Manager said, “Let me start by happily confirming that all who were admitted with dengue have now been treated and released from hospital and will make a full recovery. Our teams are visiting them to see how they are doing and bring along fruits as a small “get well soon” gesture. Since September 4^th, 2018, we have fogged the area 14 times and have constantly cleared stagnant water, however with the volume and frequency of the rain, the primary drainage system becomes clogged causing new ponding areas which leads to more larvae. With this in mind, we are ramping-up our efforts to an almost military-like campaign to help protect everyone in the area to the best of our abilities.”

Fogging alone does not kill the larvae, it just chases away the mosquitoes. So, while PPES Works and CMSB have engaged a private contractor to conduct mosquito fogging now daily, they are also funding a greater counteroffensive in the war on dengue with new initiatives and weapons.

1. Every personnel who enters the area must be properly attired, will receive mosquito patches and will be sprayed by a non-aerosol water-based mosquito repellent.
2. Every morning, a team of 20 people comprising general site staff and safety officers will comb for hotspots, deploy anti-mosquito larvae chemicals and dispose of stagnant water.
3. Every Saturday there will be a Gotong-Royong featuring 70 staff and subcontractor workers to search and destroy potential mosquito breeding ground.
4. Hiring of additional water pumps to drain areas where post rain ponding occurs.

Speaking about the above and beyond aspect of the anti-dengue campaign, Jason Lee, Head of Corporate Reputation and Communications said, “We will be initiating talks with the Museum for long-term solutions such as the planting of massive amounts of Citronella and Marigold plants. These plants do not ward off mosquitoes, but they do mask the scent (carbon dioxide emissions of breath) of humans so that the mosquitoes cannot detect and infect humans. There are other options that can be deployed such as the introduction of guppies or ikan longkang to eat the larvae in the more permanent ponding areas. As a final measure, we will be hiring an external third-party health and safety inspector to join us on a weekly or fortnightly site visit to see how else we can wipe out dengue in this area.”

“CMSB wants to be a true corporate citizen that makes life changing differences to people’s lives. Just fogging and chasing away the mosquitoes on a temporary basis will not achieve our long-lasting and life-changing goals. For that reason, we want to do it properly. Hopefully, our actions will help educate people in the surrounding area and also raise the bar for other contractors and developers to follow. This long-lasting and life-changing goals concept forms the basis of our soon to be launched new, holistic CSR programme,’ concluded Jason.

Kuching (Sarawak), Friday, 7 September 2018 – Since 2014, CMS Cement Industries (CMSCI) has openly sought to engage the Mambong communities that neighbours the company’s Integrated Cement Plant.

Speaking about the annual dialogue, Goh Chii Bing, Group Chief Executive Officer – Operations, said: “A few years ago, Mambong residents voiced their concerns over dust levels that were coating their houses, cars and even laundry. They also raised concerns over the speeds at which some lorries were travelling in the area. Driven by a desire to want to help address some of those issues, CMSCI embarked on the first dialogue session in 2014 to explain to the Ketua-Ketua Kaum (KKK) and Jawantankuasa KKK members that while the operations of the factory did create some dust, those levels were being monitored and were in compliance with relevant environmental regulations.  In fact, CMSCI implements an online Continuous Emission Monitoring System (CEMS) with sensors installed at chimneys identified by the Department of Environment (DOE).  These sensors are linked to both the control room at the plant as well as to the DOE server.  This means that if dust exceeds permissible levels, not only will an alarm be triggered in CMSCI, DOE would also be alerted.  As for the community’s concern about speeding vehicles, CMSCI was able to show them that such vehicles were not related to the operations of CMSCI, be they transporters or staff”.

“CMSCI saw the opportunity to be more than just another company operating in the vicinity of a kampung.  We have a chance to become a real partner to the development of the community, creating positive and lasting change” says Mr Goh.

In the years that followed, CMSCI not only became a leading employer in the community with some 60% of the workforce comprising residents within a 20 kilometer radius, but have initiated several programmes that will see long-term betterment and growth for the communities. During this latest dialogue session, KKK and JKKK members took a moment to express their thanks to CMSCI for their efforts in creating an English Reading Programme at St. Augustine’s School, which is a collaboration with Tunku Putra-HELP School for Primary 4-6 – a programme that has already seen very positive results. The residents expressed hope that the programme could be expanded to incorporate mathematics, however, they are aware that such programme expansions would require Ministry of Education approvals.  Additionally, they also recorded their appreciation to CMSCI for sponsoring 200 chairs to community churches.

Those present at the dialogue also applauded CMSCI for their continued efforts to engage and support the community in more meaningful ways. One resident said, “We are impressed and appreciate the efforts and commitments of CMS to support and engage the community. This engagement is a step in the right direction and other organisations should follow suit.”

Another resident said, “I am impressed because I originally felt that CMS was just politically driven. I can see now that CMS is doing a lot, akin to ‘Pusat Khidmat Mambong.”  To this note, Mr Goh reiterated that CMS is a caring and responsible corporate company, run by professional managers.

CMSCI is committed to their diligence in monitoring emission levels and is ready to support the community in engaging relevant authorities on ways to improve road safety as well as other common infrastructure.

This 5^th annual dialogue was attended by Temenggong Bidayuh Bahagian Kuching, Temenggong Austin Dimin Anak Niyon, Representatives from MP Puncak Borneo, YB Willie Mongin’s office, Ketua-Ketua Kaum (KKK) and Jawatan KKK from various villages around Mambong and members CMSCI’s management team.

After the event, Jason Lee, Head of Corporate Reputation and Communications, said: “The CMS Group is relooking at the ways we do CSR in the future. We want to be a driver of holistic CSR where everything we do and everything we embark on positively changes not just individual lives but the lives of entire communities by enhancing their way of life through infrastructure, connectivity and opportunity.”