Sunway Celebrates Deepavali By Helping Underserved Communities & Driving Innovation

By Aqasha Nalani  •  01 Nov 2024 in Sponsored

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An ancient Sanskrit prayer once said, “Lead me from darkness to light, from ignorance to knowledge, from death to immortality.”

Deepavali, the Festival of Lights, embodies this timeless invocation for wisdom and renewal, symbolising the triumph of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, and hope over despair. Traditionally, families and communities come together to celebrate new beginnings, spreading joy and positivity.

At Sunway, the group draws inspiration from these timeless values as it balances tradition with innovation. Just as Deepavali brings light into homes, Sunway is committed to bringing progress to communities, using technology and forward-thinking ideas to improve lives.

Through its digital transformation journey, Sunway continues to uplift communities and create lasting impact, paving the way for a brighter future for generations to come.

This year, Sunway has embraced these values by reaching out to underserved communities across Malaysia, combining festive cheer with long-term innovation for sustainable development

In the spirit of Deepavali, Sunway hosted a special celebration for approximately 100 children and 21 caretakers from six care homes at Sunway Carnival Mall and Sunway Hotel Seberang Jaya in Penang.

The event brought together residents from Shan’s Children Home, Pusat Jagaan Sinar Ceria, Sunshine Cottage, Persatuan Kebajikan Shammah, Sekolah Sinar Harapan Bukit Mertajam, and Pertubuhan Penyayang Chin Yun.

Aimed at providing a memorable experience for the children, the event featured a variety of activities, including lucky draws, henna hand painting, clown performances, shopping, and photo booth sessions.

Each home will receive groceries worth RM1,500 over the next two months, offering significant support to caretakers during these challenging times.

Additionally, children were given school bags and Vitamin C tablets courtesy of Sunway Multicare Pharmacy.

To further nurture a love of reading, Sunway partnered with POPULAR Bookstore to gift stationeries to children, which was made possible through a RM2,000 cash voucher sponsorship.

PADINI has also gifted a 30% discount on selected items for purchases made for the children, adding extra joy to this season of giving.

As part of Sunway’s initiative under the #SunwayforGood umbrella, its Deepavali celebrations reflect the group’s commitment to uplifting underserved communities, regardless of race, religion, or creed

In 2024, Sunway reached more than 6,400 beneficiaries across Malaysia through its festive cheer and continues to strive towards positively impacting millions more in the years to come.

Sunway’s Deepavali outreach extended beyond Penang, reaching underprivileged families and charitable organisations in Perak, Selangor, Melaka, Johor, and Penang.

In collaboration with the Malaysian Red Crescent (MRC) and Kechara Soup Kitchen, Sunway provided essential groceries and festive support to B40 families.

In Pahang, families received assistance through a shopping spree to help them prepare for the celebrations.

Elsewhere, MRCS distributed groceries to the Persatuan Kebajikan Thirumular Malaysia in Selangor and B40 families in Johor, while Kechara Soup Kitchen extended aid to over 100 families in Penang, Perak, Selangor, Johor, and Melaka.

In keeping with the Deepavali spirit—which also symbolises the triumph of knowledge over ignorance—Sunway is committed to empowering communities through innovation, education, and sustainability

As part of its ongoing efforts to support Malaysia’s digital transformation, Sunway has partnered with HUAWEI Malaysia to launch the Digital Innovation Programme 2.0.

This collaboration aims to develop smart, sustainable townships by integrating HUAWEIR’s advanced technologies with Sunway’s business ecosystem.

Through the programme, a data-to-value initiative will create a data lake powered by Huawei’s Big Data platform to support Sunway’s strategy and roadmap.

Furthermore, a Smart Townships Development programme will establish a strong ICT infrastructure for rolling out smart technologies across Sunway’s townships, including future expansions in the Borneo states.

Key areas of focus include Smart PV, battery energy storage, and the development of hyper-scale data centres, all aligned with green and sustainable solutions for homes, offices, and industrial parks.

Sunway has also entered a partnership with HUAWEI and ChargeSini to increase electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at Sunway properties nationwide.

This aligns with the government’s National Energy Transition Roadmap, which aims to establish 10,000 charging stations by 2025.

Sunway also remains committed to empowering communities through education

Sunway’s 42 Malaysia, supported by Sunway Education Group, the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation, and Khazanah Nasional, offers free computer science education to individuals over 18, regardless of background or skills.

Now expanding to Johor, Penang, and Sarawak, 42 Malaysia aims to foster a new generation of digital talent.

In partnership with MyDIGITAL Corporation, a government agency under the Digital Ministry, 42 Malaysia will develop the national digital workforce in fields such as cloud computing, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence.

This collaboration aims to fill 12,000 cybersecurity positions and create 500,000 digital economy jobs by 2025.

Additionally, Sunway’s Code4TheFuture initiative provides digital education to refugee communities, equipping them with essential coding skills.

Led by student volunteers from 42KL in partnership with the Fugee School, the programme reached 70 refugee students in 2023 and 2024, giving them vital skills for a digital future.

As Malaysia’s urban population continues to rise, Sunway is pioneering sustainable solutions in agriculture

Sunway XFarms, established in 2020, leverages smart farming technology to produce nutritious, pesticide-free vegetables in urban settings.

Expanding in 2022 to Sunway Tower in Kuala Lumpur City Centre, Sunway XFarms is now the largest indoor vertical farm in the area, producing over 13,000kg of fresh vegetables monthly.

By using 90% less water than traditional farming methods and achieving ten times higher yields with minimal waste, Sunway XFarms contributes significantly to sustainable urban food security.

Ultimately, Sunway’s commitment to innovation is driven by its mission to generate real-world solutions for progress.

This Deepavali, Sunway honours the festive traditions while embracing innovation to uplift communities.

Sunway remains steadfast in its digital transformation journey as the group strives to create a lasting impact for generations to come.