by AZALEA AZUAR / pic credit: gasmalaysia.com

GAS Malaysia Bhd is taking up the petrol refill costs for lower income groups who are riding motorcycles below 170cc to help them cope with living costs amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative themed “Kempen Tuang Minyak — Awak Isi, Kami Bayar” is being held at Gas Malaysia’s selected petrol stations throughout Peninsular Malaysia namely Ayer Keroh (Melaka), Pasir Gudang (Johor), Gebeng (Pahang), Manjung (Perak) and Senawang (Negri Sembilan).

It will soon be extended to Kuala Lumpur (KL), Putrajaya, Shah Alam and Perai respectively.

The CSR initiative has since aided some 1,000 motorcyclists while adhering to the standard operating procedures.

Each motorcyclist was also given the Jalur Gemilang flags to show their patriotic spirit for the 64th Merdeka celebrations, which is tomorrow.

According to Gas Malaysia group CEO Ahmad Hashimi Abdul Manap (picture), the programme is a timely gesture since the pandemic has had a far-reaching effect on people’s livelihoods, especially on the lower income group.

“We sincerely hope that this contribution to a certain extent will help elevate the difficulties faced by the bottom 40% (B40) group, especially in the wake of the current pandemic,” he said in a recent statement.

Ahmad Hashimi added that the company has also done similar initiatives for the B40 community such as donating household groceries to needy recipients living in Kota Kemuning and Petaling Jaya.

Gas Malaysia has also extended their support to the medical staff who have been directly involved in treating Covid-19 patients by donating medical equipment to three hospitals.

Additionally, it has also assisted 500 local hawkers and traders in Pantai Dalam, KL, by donating household groceries.

“Moving forward, we will extend our CSR programmes to a wider pool of beneficiaries, given our role as an innovative and value-added premier energy solutions provider,” he said.