S. Sudan: Malaysia’s PETRONAS funds educational projects
April 2, 2011 (JUBA) – Malaysia’s oil giants Petroliam Nasional Berhad (PETRONAS) on Friday donated school materials to three basic schools in South Sudan’s capital, Juba as part of the organization’s corporate social responsibility commitment.
The donations, categorized under PETRONAS’s back to school programme, was reportedly initiated to assist and help lessen the burden of parents as they prepare their children for the new academic year as well as motivate them with brand new basic school equipment.
A total of 2,500 schools bags and numerous stationery sets were distributed to students in three Juba-based schools. These included Juba One Girls, Kamuyangi and Atlabara basic schools.
“The PETRONAS Back to School Programme reinforces PETRONAS’ corporate social investment efforts via education-related community outreach programmes,” the organization said in a communiqué.
It adds, “These initiatives are part of the larger PETRONAS’ corporate social responsibility commitment which emphasizes human capital development and capacity building as one of its cornerstones.”
However, apart from the organization’s direct involvement with schools, it has also awarded scholarships to deserving students to pursue technical degrees at the Malaysia-based PETRONAS Technology University (PTU). Since 2000, the Malaysia oil giants have reportedly awarded more than 160 scholarships to southern and northern Sudan schools.
In 2006, the organization launched the PETRONAS mobile library, a programme earmarked to encourage good learning habits and the usage of the English language as well as enhance academic performance and knowledge among its young participants. The programme, according to PETRONAS officials, is currently being re-evaluated with the collaboration of education authorities in Juba.
Datuk Abdullah Karim, PETRONAS’s vice president of development and production, Nusral Danir, the organization’s Sudan Chairman and senior education officials from both the state and southern government were present at the half-day occasion.
The event comes barely a month after officials from the Energy and Mining ministry in the southern government and the Malaysian-owned oil and gas company signed a two-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at boosting mutual cooperation between the two parties.
Founded on August 14, 1974, PETRONAS is wholly owned by the Malaysian government. Since its incorporation, the company has reportedly grown to be an integrated international oil and gas company with business interests in 35 countries.
The Malaysian oil and gas company was ranked among Fortune Global 500’s largest companies in the world. It also ranked PETRONAS as the 13th most profitable company in the world and most profitable in Asia.
(ST)