This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on April 14, 2020

KUALA LUMPUR: Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) has contributed over RM23 million, in the form of donations and various relief efforts, to help in Malaysia’s fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.

PNB group chairman Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz said everyone has to work together to curb the spread of the virus and that PNB will lend its support in whatever way it can, adding it is PNB’s honour to provide assistance in the form of financial means and vital medical equipment.

“To further support the Covid-19 recovery and relief efforts, PNB has also donated to the government-linked companies and government-linked investment companies’ disaster response network (GDRN).

“Financial support has also been extended to the Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre (CPRC) to boost the centre’s readiness level, and to the zakat institutions to help Malaysians in need to weather through this unprecedented period,” said Zeti in a statement yesterday.

PNB is also providing a three-month rental waiver for all small and medium enterprise tenants in PNB-owned properties, while rentals for other tenants have been waived for the duration of the movement control order.

The assistance that the fund has provided to date includes four intensive care ventilators worth RM637,560, RM3.1 million to the Institute for Medical Research to upgrade diagnostic testing services, RM70,180 to the CPRC to finance the cost of essential equipment, and RM1.97 million to the Department of Medical Social Work to be distributed to 21 hospitals across the country.

Besides that, the Department of Medical Social Work also received RM3.5 million to be channelled to 41 hospitals as immediate financial assistance to underprivileged patients, while RM2.3 million was donated to GDRN, which will go towards assisting the ministry of health (MoH) in purchasing medical supplies, personal protective equipment and other requirements.

Earlier in the year, PNB donated RM11.2 million to MoH to assist in the purchasing of medical equipment and financing of upgrading works at 23 hospitals around the country.

The fund also donated RM800,000 to Pusat Pungutan Zakat-MAIWP, of which RM300,000 was distributed to some 600 entrepreneurs in Federal Territories. A second allocation of RM500,000 was provided for those facing similar hardships around the country, including B40 households and daily wage earners impacted by the loss of income.

Meanwhile, PNB’s hospitality arm Attana Hotels & Resorts Sdn Bhd distributed food to front-liners at Sungai Buloh Hospital, non-governmental organisation OKU Sentral, as well as  uniformed bodies, in appreciation of their committed and dedicated efforts.

Companies under PNB, including Malayan Banking Bhd, Sime Darby Bhd, Sime Darby Plantation Bhd, Sime Darby Property Bhd, UMW Holdings Bhd, SP Setia Bhd, Sapura Energy Bhd, Duopharma Biotech Bhd and MIDF Bhd, have also undertaken their own initiatives, ranging from financial aid to donations in kind.