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CSR & SUSTAINABILITY BUSINESS CONFERENCE
Datuk Shahrir Samad presenting a memento to Siemens Malaysia CEO Tan Sri Rainer Althoff for
sponsoring the conference.
Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Datuk Shahrir Samad with ASLI Director Puan Sri Susan
Cheah and Dato Dr. Michael Yeoh.
Puan Sri Susan Cheah presenting a memento to Datuk Peter Chin Minister of Plantation Industry and
Commodities.
Businesses today around the world, as well as their stakeholders, are becoming
increasingly aware of the need for socially responsible behaviour especially in addressing
the greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. Business community’s adoption of
CSR practices is in step with the global trend towards more responsible and responsive
corporate behaviour. Companies now clearly have come to view that climate change
mitigation as the most important social and environmental issue confronting our global
community. A sustainable environment is essential for achieving and sustaining economic
growth, poverty eradication, and human development.
Equipped with the apt and timely theme “Accelerating CSR Practices beyond Boundaries”,
ASLI was privileged to organize the CSR & Sustainability Business Conference on
October 23, 2008 at the Crowne Plaza Mutiara Kuala Lumpur. The conference was
officiated by Dato’ Shahrir Abdul Samad, Minister of Domestic Trade & Consumer Affairs
and Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui delivered the Special Luncheon Address.
In his Opening Keynote Address, - Dato’ Shahrir Samad stated that as we are faced
with the increased pressure from internal and external stakeholders, more organizations
are measuring and reporting on their social and environmental performance as well as
the usual financial reporting measures. He added that the worldwide growth of socially
responsible investment funds, investment rating systems such as the Dow Jones
Sustainability Index and investment policy disclosure requirements have put pressures
on companies to make these non-financial disclosures. Dato’ Shahrir also added that it
has become increasingly clear that businesses, governments and citizens all have an
interconnected stake in the health and well-being of the planet as well as its people.
Sustainability necessarily involves many interconnected issues, from the acquisition and
use of energy to fuel productive economies, to the impact of economic growth on local
and regional environments and living conditions, to access to clean and abundant water
and other natural resources. These issues, together with questions about how best to
build healthy economies that can equally support burgeoning populations in high-growth
regions, as well as aging populations in others, are all part of the dialogue on sustainability.
Thus, as he concluded, CSR and sustainability have become increasingly intertwined.
Datuk Shahrir Samad with sponsors of the Conference.
In his Special Luncheon Address on “Sustainable Business for Sustainable Development”,
Datuk Peter Chin stressed that corporate social responsibility is part of the wider
sustainable development strategy, which emphasises the long-term economic growth,
social cohesion and environmental protection. Sustainable development is becoming
ever more important for companies, both in their business activities and in their activities
as corporate citizens. Acting sustainably ensures a competitive advantage. He added that
due to the increased importance of this fact, CSR or CR (corporate responsibility) should
be a core part of a company’s business culture and feature in planning, implementation,
staff policy and day-to-day decisions. He concluded that we need to ensure that in times
of global financial crisis, we do not sway from the commitment we have pledged in social
accountability. Globalization in itself has created new opportunities for enterprises. It has
also increased their organizational complexity and the increasing extension of business
activities has led to new responsibilities. In order for us to remain competitive, it would be
in good faith to abide by both internationally and locally accepted standards of CSR.
Among the distinguished role-players who spoke at the conference were Tan Sri
Rainer Althoff, President / CEO of Siemens Malaysia Sdn. Bhd; Y.A. Dato’ Ranita
Hussein, President of Advisory Council of Jurists, Asia Pacific Forum; Julian Wynter,
Chief Executive Officer / Managing Director of Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia
Berhad; Rasila Hamzah, Managing Director of Russ Consulting Sdn. Bhd; Gurmit Singh
K.S., Chairman, Centre for Environment of Technology & Development (CETDEM);
Ralph Dixon, Director of Environmental Investments of YTL Corporation Bhd; Surin
Suksuwan, Technical Officer - Peninsular Malaysia of the WWF-Malaysia; Rajan
Moses, Managing Director, of Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide Kuala Lumpur; Datuk
Vinod B. Sekhar, Founder / President & Group Chief Executive of The Petra Group;
Dato’ Ghazali Dato’ Yusoff, Executive Chairman of Nusantara Technologies Sdn Bhd;
Adelina Iskandar, General Manager - Customer Services Division of SYABAS; Prof Dr
Adeeba Kamarulzaman, President, Malaysian AIDS Council & Head, Infectious Disease
Unit of UM Medical Centre (UMMC); Dr Geoffrey Williams, Managing Director of OWW
Consulting Sdn. Bhd; Jeff Zweig, Chief Guru - Southeast Asia of the Web Guru Asia and
Gaurav Rai, Hotel Manager of the Crowne Plaza Mutiara Kuala Lumpur.
The CEO Roundtable with Mr. Julian Wynter CEO Standard Chartered Bank, Tan Sri Rainer Althoff CEO
Siemens, Dato Ranita Hussein President Asia Pacific Advisory Council of Jurists and Mr. Andrew Chan
Executive Director PricewaterhouseCoopers
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Dato Shahrir Samad having a word with Mr. Thai of Hans Siedel Foundation and Mr. Julian Wynter CEO
Standard Chartered Bank.