“We are excited to be here today to celebrate the grand opening of the first ever McDonald’s outlet in Kuala Pilah. We see Kuala Pilah as a prime location within the state, which will allow us to extend our hospitality to connect with more Malaysians and provide our customers with feel good moments,” said Azmir Jaafar, Managing Director and Local Operating Partner of McDonald’s Malaysia.
The McDonald’s Kuala Pilah Drive-Thru restaurant is part of the company’s expansion plan for the country. With over 290 restaurants at the moment, McDonald’s Malaysia plans to have a footprint of up to 450 restaurants nationwide by 2025.
McDonald’s Malaysia sees a lot of potential not only in Kuala Pilah, but Negeri Sembilan as a whole.
With the recent opening of the Kuala Pilah Drive-Thru restaurant, and a few more outlets in the pipeline for Negeri Sembilan, McDonald’s Malaysia hopes to contribute to the local economy through job creation and talent development.
“Our expansion here not only signals the potential we see in the state, but also our commitment to the community here in Negeri Sembilan. Giving back to the communities that we operate in has always been part of our DNA,” added Azmir.
The grand opening of the outlet in Kuala Pilah also saw the company contributing RM637,200 to the Negeri Sembilan state as part of McDonald’s Malaysia’s Community Programme, which runs from October to December.
The community initiatives that took place at the grand opening of the McDonald’s Kuala Pilah Drive-Thru outlet included: -
• McDonald’s zakat contribution to Negeri Sembilan
• McDonald’s Malaysia’s National Dual Training System (NDTS)
• “Back-to-School” programme
Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar YAB Dato’ Seri Aminuddin Harun was the guest of honour at the event today.
“I am extremely pleased with the collaborative spirit shown by McDonald’s Malaysia. Close collaboration between the corporate sector and the state government is always welcomed here, as we aim for a balanced socio-economic state,” said Dato’ Seri Aminuddin.
“The recent Budget 2020 was designed with the well-being of the people in mind, while also driving the country’s economic growth. This can only be achieved when the corporate sector, government, and the community work hand-in-hand. I am glad that McDonald’s Malaysia is bringing these initiatives to Negeri Sembilan, which will directly have a positive impact on the community here,” added Dato’ Seri Aminuddin.
McDonald’s zakat contribution
McDonald’s Malaysia fulfilled its zakat obligation to the state of Negeri Sembilan, contributing RM101,000.
“As a business entity that is 100 percent owned by Muslims, it is a religious commitment for us to pay zakat when it is due. We have been contributing zakat since 2017,” said Azmir.
McDonald’s Malaysia recently received the Corporate Zakat Contribution Certificate by Pusat Pungutan Zakat Majlis Agama Islam Wilayah Persekutuan (PPZ-MAIWP), and is in fact the first business to receive this recognition.
“This further affirms McDonald’s Malaysia’s commitment in giving back to the local community, while at the same time, fulfilling its conviction as a 100 percent Muslim-owned business entity,” added Azmir.
McDonald’s youth employment initiative
McDonald’s Malaysia’s 18-month industry-oriented training programme combines workplace and institutional training. 70 percent of the programme covers practical training in McDonald’s restaurants, while 30 percent covers theoretical lessons to be conducted in classrooms. This programme is part of the National Dual Training System (NDTS), which is accredited by the Department of Skills Development (DSD) – one of the efforts by the quick-service restaurant to elevate the standards of the company’s human capital development, and nurture new talents, in line with the national agenda.
“We are excited to welcome youth from the state of Negeri Sembilan to our industry learning programme. We hope that through this programme, the selected individuals will learn the necessary skills to thrive and kickstart a promising career,” said Azmir.
The programme is for youths from the underprivileged community. As soon as these trainees pass the assessment and final test of the programme, they will be qualified for employment at McDonald’s restaurants.
Besides benefitting from full sponsorship of the training programme, each trainee is also given a monthly living allowance of RM1,200, medical and insurance benefits, as well as free meals.
“Back-to-School” Programme
Over 1,700 children from 53 schools throughout Negeri Sembilan will be receiving “Back-to-School” packs this year. The “Back-to-School” programme is an annual initiative spearheaded by McDonald’s Malaysia and Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC), in collaboration with the Ministry of Education Malaysia.
The programme this year, which was launched in Kuala Lumpur last week, will be the largest so far - with RM3 million raised in order for 30,000 primary school children from underprivileged backgrounds nationwide to receive “Back-to-School” packs ahead of the 2020 school year.
Under the programme, each child will receive a “Back-to-School” pack, consisting of a set of school uniform, a pair of shoes, a pair of socks, and a school bag worth RM100.
In 2018, McDonald’s Malaysia and RMHC delivered “Back-to-School” packs worth RM1.7 million to 17,000 primary school students. The year before that saw McDonald’s Malaysia and RMHC reaching out to 6,000 students with RM1.2 million raised.
“Helping the underprivileged community is a core value of McDonald’s Malaysia, and we are delighted to have received generous donations from our business partners, franchisees, employees, and customers. We sincerely hope that this will help ease the financial burden of families and motivate these children to enter the new school year with confidence and excitement,” said Azmir, who is also the President of RMHC Malaysia.
The “Back-to-School” packs will also be distributed in stages throughout other states nationwide until the end of the year as part of McDonald’s Malaysia’s Community Program that encompasses various community initiatives to support the underprivileged.
RMHC is McDonald’s Malaysia’s charity of choice that aims to help underprivileged children in Malaysia. To donate or volunteer for RMHC Malaysia, please contact the headquarters of RMHC Malaysia at 03-7843 3388 or visit https://rmhc-malaysia.my/get-involved/make-a-donation/
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