This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on July 23, 2018

The team from property developer S P Setia Bhd is looking forward to an enjoyable run at this year’s The Edge Kuala Lumpur Rat Race. Two representatives are making their debuts in this year’s race in the CEO category.

“Yes, this is my first time! I am looking forward to experiencing the race, and I am excited as I will be enjoying the picturesque city of Kuala Lumpur while running the race. My motivation comes from Team Setia, which will be rooting for me throughout the race,” divisional general manager Datuk Zaini Yusoff tells The Edge.

“It is a wonderful concept as we get to set an example for our team and have some fun at the same time. It is very rare that the top management gets to socialise and unite in a somewhat informal setting, and the sense of friendly rivalry is always pushing us to do our best.”

S P Setia, a regular participant in the race for the past 18 years, snagged the top prize in the Team Spirit Squad (dance competition) category in 2016, which is a testament, it says, to the idiom “practice makes perfect”. The team worked really hard to sharpen their dance moves and gave their best to perfect their performance.

“In S P Setia, teamwork is our hallmark. Everyone takes turns to join in the run and represent the organisation for a good cause.

“We are sure it will be an enjoyable run going past iconic landmarks. Team Setia has been practising hard with daily training, and we are prepared to give our best as always,” says a member of the team.

According to Zaini, the group believes in empowering communities and being a positive agent of change in all areas.

“We take our commitment seriously and have established the

S P Setia Foundation to implement our corporate responsibility initiatives. We have created a benchmark, and we would like to see more organisations come forward and play a more engaging role in giving back to society so that those who are marginalised can enjoy a better quality of life,” he says.

For example, it launched the Setia Caring School Programme in mid-2015 to nurture a more empathetic and morally grounded society. S P Setia adopted underperforming schools in Kuala Lumpur, Johor and Penang to cultivate good values and ethics, with numerous events held throughout the year.

S P Setia also embarked on the #StandTogether nationwide Kindness Campaign, which ended on a high note in April this year.

“For us at S P Setia, good corporate responsibility is any initiative, no matter how small or trivial it may seem, that brings a positive change to our society,” says Zaini.

This year, S P Setia is taking a new direction with its all-women team, in conjunction with its Women of Inspiration (WIN) initiative. WIN focuses on empowering and developing a strong talent pipeline of women, supported by the right working environment. In fact,

S P Setia will be represented by Nadiah Tan, its chief human resources officer, in the CEO category, in an effort to lead by example.