by FAYYADH JAAFAR / pic by MUHD AMIN NAHARUL
MALAYSIA Aviation Group (MAG) and Sunway Group will capitalise on each other’s strengths to revive the country’s economy in a range of industries including aviation, property, education, medical tourism and hospitality.
The two-year collaboration will allow the two Malaysian brands to explore broad collaborative initiatives, which include new business opportunities, joint marketing campaigns, as well as branding and promotional activities.
MAG’s subsidiaries, including Malaysia Airlines Bhd (MAB), Firefly, MASwings and Journify, will collaborate with Sunway’s subsidiaries, Sunway Malls, Sunway Theme Parks, Sunway Property, Sunway Education Group, Sunway Healthcare Group and Sunway Travel.
MAG’s loyalty programme Enrich Points will partner with Sunway Pals, which is Sunway’s loyalty programme, to offer comprehensive travel packages covering flights, hotel stays and attractions that promise all-in-one hassle-free planning on both companies’ packages, Journify vacation and theme park vouchers, quarantine facilities and special MH packages.
Both rewards programmes are convertible to each other’s respective points.
These can be used for an extensive range of experiences, such as flights, seat upgrades, retail items, access to Malaysia Airlines Golden Lounges, hotel stays, dining and more.
MAG and Sunway will further offer curated medical tourism packages as well. These will extend exclusive discounts and air travel promotions of MAG’s airline companies to customers requiring treatment at Sunway Healthcare Group’s facilities.
With this, MAG and Sunway hoped to promote further growth in Malaysia’s medical tourism sector.
This collaboration will also allow both brands to leverage each other’s expertise to establish a robust talent eco-system for student placements, academic information and knowledge exchange, develop joint-research projects and offer new aviation programmes at selected Sunway educational institutions.
Additionally, students enrolled at institutions under Sunway Education Group will enjoy exclusive benefits when they sign up for the airline’s digital travel programme, MHexplorer, for their travel from and within Malaysia.
The memorandum of understanding was signed by MAG group CEO Captain Izham Ismail and Sunway Group ED Sarena Cheah.
The ceremony was witnessed by MAB and MAG chairman Tan Sri Wan Zulkiflee Wan Ariffin, Sunway Group founder and chairman Tan Sri Dr Jeffrey Cheah and Sunway Group deputy chairman Tan Sri Razman M Hashim.
“We believe these efforts are vital for exploring and capitalising on new opportunities that will emerge, ultimately promoting brand awareness at greater levels.
“This is a momentous occasion for both brands, as we join forces to advance the lives of millions of people and businesses that were impacted by the pandemic,
particularly in the fields of aviation, property, education, medical tourism and hospitality.
“Our collaboration with Sunway Group demonstrates how organisations with shared values and goals can pave the way to accelerating industries and economic growth,” Izham said.
Sunway Malls and Theme Parks CEO HC Chan said apart from raising both brands’ standing through purposeful collaborations, these efforts will accelerate Malaysia’s economic recovery and growth that was hampered by the pandemic.
“Malaysia remains a touristic destination that has so much to offer.
“Through this partnership with MAG, we believe that it is time for revitalisation and recovery for these sectors once again, putting Malaysia on the map of the world,” he added.
This collaboration will also lead to sustainability initiatives that reinforce MAG and Sunway’s shared commitment to sustainability.
Both organisations have pledged to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, in line with the national climate agenda to be a carbon neutral economy by then.