Volume 2

SAMLING GLOBAL LIMITED
VOLUME 2: 2010/2011
S N A P S H
T S
Samling brings
healthcare services to
Ulu Baram Villages
In the past year, Samling and
Kuching Specialist Hospital
(KcSH) have collaborated in a
corporate social responsibility
(CSR) programme aimed
at bringing healthcare
and creating health and
hygiene awareness to the
communities in the Baram
interior.
(Continued on page 2)
Editorial Team Mandy Chen & Ellis Loke For enquiries, please email [email protected] Website www.samling.com
Mailing Address The Samling Group, Wisma Samling, Lot 296, Jalan Temenggong Datuk Oyong Lawai Jau, PO Box 368, 98007 Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia
(Continued from page 1)
01
02
1st Medical Outreach:
OctOber2009
A medical field team appointed by KcSH comprising medical practitioners and qualified medical
volunteers from both the private and public sectors would make scheduled visits to target
communities. The MoU promises medical
services for one year for rural communities.
“Ever since the flying doctor
Healthcare services offered include basic
service (FDS) stopped almost three
health screening, dental care and vision test.
years ago, my people had little
access to healthcare. For that, I
Samling’s main role was to ensure that the
wish to say thank you to Kuching
logistics of the programme were taken care
Specialist Hospital (KcSH) and
of. Camp facilities in the Ulu Baram region
Samling for enabling many of us to
would function as field medical centres, and
receive treatment.”
we were also tasked to ferrying villagers from
pick-up points at main logging roads as far
James Nyurang, headman of Tanjung Tepalit
as two hours from camp point. Meals were
provided for all volunteers and every villager
who came to the camp.
“Making the timber camp the focal
point of the medical has allowed
Samling also provides transportation and
many more people to receive
accommodation assistance to the visiting
treatment, instead of moving from
medical field teams between Miri and its
one place to another which would
camps and to target communities in the
involve a far more complicated
Baram region. Logistics support also covers
logistics arrangement.”
medical emergencies in the event that a
medical evacuation is needed and for referral
cases to the hospitals in town.
2 Community Snapshots VOLUME 2: 2010/2011
Stewart Paran, Samling’s community service officer
An MoU for the collaboration was signed in September
2009 and by October 2009, the first team already
kicked into action at Pelutan camp, Ulu baram. the
medical team consisted of 18-member, and was
headed by Dr Lim Kok ban, a physician from KcSH,
and Dr Lu ting Yin, a dentist from Kota Samarahan
Polyclinic. Leading the medical outreach programme
are Ngeng eng cheng, Director of KcSH, and Datuk
chong ek choon, the programme advisor.
More than 300 villagers received medical assistance,
and the efficiency of Samling’s logistics team received
praise from the medical team.
“the logistical operation went perfectly in that we got
the maximum number of people. We salute Samling’s
dedicated team of drivers, some of whom are actually
camp managers. We have the best partner for this
project although initially there were skeptics who
questioned our choice of Samling as a partner,” said
Mr Ngeng.
Ngeng added, “We came to help those who had little
access to consistent healthcare. In this we are actually
grateful to the folk of Ulu baram for giving us the
opportunity to serve them.”
Samling’s community affair officers, who are familiar
faces in the community, were the appointed local
coordinators and liaison to inform the villagers of the
visiting medical teams’ scheduled visits and to arrange
for facilities to enable them to seek medical services.
“What we have here is similar with a rural clinic.
At times we treated villagers for minor injuries and
common illnesses,” Samling community Service
Officer, Stewart Paran Libut said, adding that Samling
has been providing community services since the 70s,
long before cSr become popular.
“We salute Samling’s dedicated team
of drivers, some of whom are actually
camp managers. We have the best
partner for this project...”
Ngeng Eng Cheng, Director of KcSH
04
01 Volunteers having their hands full attending to
over 300 villagers who were transported to the
Pelutan Camp for medical attention.
03
02 Dr Lim Kok Ban attending to a Penan woman and
her child.
2nd Medical Outreach:
July2010
03 Samling workers transporting villagers to and
from pick up points on logging roads nearby the
villages.
Encouraged by the success of the first medical
outreach programme, KScH again partnered Samling
to organise a second outing of the programme. The
number of villagers served this time almost doubled to
more than 700 members, who came from 20 villages
in ulu Baram to receive medical attention at the lutin
camp in ulu Baram. Samling again played host to the
medical field team and was instrumental in providing
logistics support.
05
Medicine supplies worth more than RM16,000 were
dispensed by a medical team comprising a physician,
dentists, and medical assistants. Two severe cases
requiring further medical attention were immediately
referred to Miri Hospital via helicopter service provided
by Hornbill Skyways.
“Making the timber camp the focal point of the
medical has allowed many more people to receive
treatment, instead of moving from one place to
another which would involve a far more complicated
logistics arrangement,” said Stewart Paran
Dr lim Kok Ban again led the medical team and was
joined by a dedicated 20-strong team comprising two
dentists and medical assistants who made a gruelling
six-hour journey by land from Miri to ulu Baram where
they tirelessly met with villagers who arrived as early as
7.30am with the last to leave past 5pm.
A gathering of local communities of this strength
also presented a unique opportunity for government
agencies such as National Registration Department,
Marudi Department of Agriculture, and Pusat
Kemahiran dan Pembangunan Sarawak, and a local
NGO, Sarawak AIDS Council Society, to serve the
people in their respective capacities.
The NRD were able to register 67 new identity card
and birth certificate applicants and issued 28 identity
cards and 53 birth certificates to previous applicants.
The other agencies gave talks and advised the villagers
about basic healthcare and daily practices, and also
agricultural schemes available.
“Again, this effort would have been impossible if not
for Samling’s logistics assistance in bringing the team in
from Miri, and transporting the villagers to the camp,”
said Mr Ngeng in a closing ceremony to mark the end
of another successful medical outreach programme.
06
07
08
09
3rd Medical Outreach:
November2010
Having heard of the fruitful collaboration between
Samling and KcSH, the Lions Club of miri contacted us
to co-organise a one-day medical care service project.
The medical care provided this time included eye sight
inspection, dental care, general health check-up, papsmear test and even haircut for hair lice infestation.
The Lions Club brought in a medical team consisted
of 40 members including doctors and nurses who
attended to about 630 patients from 14 villages in the
surrounding area.
The headman of Long Kawi, Satuk Lawai, spoke highly
of Samling and also thanked the team for bringing
various other form of assistance to them, including
road building to site leveling for long houses, donation
of building materials, and other essentials.
In conjunction with this programme, Samling also
donated stationery and infant milk powder to the
native children, while the Lions gave out food rations
and used clothing.
04 The team of volunteers from Kuching and Miri,
together with Mr Ngeng Ek Cheng (standing,
middle) and Lutin Camp Manager Mr Fong Kwok
Wo (in white).
05 Air ambulance service courtesy of Hornbill
Skyways was on standby to fly two Penan villagers
who needed immediate medical attention to Miri
Hospital by helicopter.
06 Dentists Dr Patrick Tie and Dr Kong Lik Lin
inspecting dental health of a patient.
07 Medical supplies donated for the second medical
outreach programme.
08 An NRD officer assisting a Penan woman in giving
her thumbprint as part of the IC registration
process.
09 A Penan child from Long Luteng holding up his
birth certificate that he has just received from the
National Registration Department.
Community Snapshots VOLUME 2: 2010/2011 3
Engaging Forest Communities
integrating forest
communities into
forest management
and operations
Who
benefits
from our community initiatives?
Consultation and dialogue
with key stakeholders of the
forest to meet two objectives :
• K
eepforestshealthyand
productive for future
generations
regions
kampungs
163 3
Strategy
in
Baram Lawas Bintulu/Belaga
Kayan
Kenyah
Kelabit
Saban
Berawan
Penan
• M
eettheworld’sintrinsic
need for wood
Lun Bawang
Kayan
Iban
Punan
Kenyah
Penan
Engagement and Consultation Process
The forestry laws and regulations of Sarawak require community acceptance of logging operations in an area.
We have in place a well-defined community relations policy that consists of a formal and systematic process of
continuous engagement to achieve community consensus and acceptance. This partnership serves as a forum
for all parties to work together, including the resolution of conflicts and disputes.
Community
Liaison Team
Fact-finding
Dialogues
Village accepts
operations within their
area of influence
Village accepts our
Community Assistance
Sign
Goodwill Agreement
Samling commences
operations
Continuous Dialogues
FaCt Finding dialogUES
We have a long tradition of engaging with
different groups of indigenous communities.
Before we enter to operate in any approved area
in the forestland, we will identify the indigenous
communities who live within the area. Our
Community Affairs Officers and authorized
representatives will meet with the Headman and
his villagers to inform them of our impending
operations and road construction for our timber
operations. It is not necessary to relocate the
communities as we set aside the village area, its
surrounding forest areas and their farming land,
water catchment areas and river buffer zones,
from our timber operations. Due to the nature of
our activities, we always consult the local villages
before beginning operations. The communities
have the freedom to continue their daily activities
in the forest.
4 Community Snapshots VOLUME 2: 2010/2011
nEgotiation
After fact-finding dialogues, we will negotiate
with the villages so that they agree with our
impending operations within their areas of
influence. Amongst those that will be discussed
are ways to minimize the impact of our timber
operations on their living conditions and
environment. When we have the consensus from
the villages, we will proceed to draft the goodwill
agreement. If there is no agreement, we will not
enter to operate in their area of influence and
continue with negotiation.
Signing oF agrEEmEnt
The goodwill agreement will include the agreed
community assistance and contributions to the
indigenous communities during the duration of
our operations. This is targeted to improve their
living conditions and provide them with easier
and more comfortable lives.
ExECUtion
Our Community Affairs Officers and their
team members will execute and monitor the
assistance to be provided. They will also visit
them from time to time to have their feedback
and provide ad-hoc assistance upon request,
such as transporting school children who live in
very remote villages, leveling of land for their use,
painting and repainting of their buildings.
Scholarship
and Bursary Programme
To enrich the talent and skills force in the countries in which
we operate, we grant annual scholarships to students with
outstanding academic credentials and leadership potential.
Since the scholarship programme began in Malaysia in 2000, we have provided over
RM1.17million to about 43 students (including 6 indigenous students) attending local
universities who pursued studies in areas relevant to our forestry operations.
Samling scholars sharing their academic and career experiences
We also offer our support through a bursary scheme. More flexible than a scholarship,
the bursary programme reaches out to a wider group young people, ranging from school
leavers, students from low income background, to those admitted to special institutions for
disability-related reasons. Annually, we contribute about RM56,000 to about 51 primary
and 7 secondary schools, and also to Curtin University to reward students who have
excelled academically.
Hikurangi Wins Outstanding
Environmental Management Award
Hikurangi Forest Farms Ltd (HFF) won the coveted Outstanding
Environmental Management Award at the inaugural Eastland Wood
Council Forestry Awards held in May 2010. This award was presented to the
company who best demonstrate their excellence and commitment to environmental management
within the forestry industry by going above and beyond general compliance. HFF was nominated by
an external auditor for FSC in recognition of outstanding results during our annual FSC audits.
Over 220 people witness the
presentation, which was attended the
ceremony including the Minister of
Education and the Gisborne District
Council Mayor and CEO. The ceremony
also saw three of HFF’s nominated
contractors winning impressive awards
such as FITEC Trainee of the Year
Award, Forestry Excellence Award, and
Distribution Excellence Award.
Adapted from HFF’s Stakeholder Newsletter,
Edition 9 (August 2010)
Hikurangi’s
FSC
Recertification
Earlier this year Hikurangi Forest
Farms (HFF) underwent its first major
five-year Forest Stewardship Council
(FSC) audit. FSC certificates are only granted for
5 year periods. In order to remain as a FSC certified
Forest Company, HFF is audited annually with major
audits every 5 years. The major audit involves 3
auditors, covering all 10 principles of FSC. During
these audits, corrective action request or CARS
are given for area where the auditors think require
improvement, these are classified as major CARs or
minor CARs.
HFF passed the five year audit completed by the
Smartwood programme of the Rainforest Alliance,
with only two minor CARs, and has successfully
regained FSC certification for the next 5 years. This
result was very much a team effort in which all staff
and contractors can be proud of.
Adapted from HFF’s Stakeholder Newsletter, Edition 9 (August 2010)
Community Snapshots VOLUME 2: 2010/2011 5
Samling boosts apprentices’ prospects
via skills programme
Opening doors to a better future
In February 2009, Samling became
the first company in Sarawak
to sign a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with Institut
Latihan Perindustrian Miri (ILP)
to collaborate on an industrial
skill training programme under
the National Dual Training System
(NDTS) initiated by the Ministry of
Human Resources. Apprentices of the
programme will be awarded a Level 3 Malaysian
Skill Standard (SKM) certification, which is
nationally recognized, upon the successful
completion of the programme. Our vision is to
equip each apprentice with skill sets that will
meet the demands of the industry that we are
operating in.
Since the programme started in August 2009,
Samling has recruited apprentices comprising
youths from both urban and rural areas in
Sarawak and continues to receive enquiries from
local community leaders and social workers
enquiring about future participation. The
first batch of 11 apprentice mechanics under
sponsorship will be completing the programme
in August 2011. Samling has also initiated two
subsequent batches of apprentices who comprise
heavy equipment mechanics and a new skill set
group – welders.
Mutual benefits
of apprenticeship
Samling’s partnership with ILP aims to provide
youths a unique opportunity to “earn and learn”,
where they would be acquiring a new skill set
with formal and structured on-the-job training
from qualified Samling trainers while receiving a
wage for the duration of the training. Through
the vocational training programme, the interns
are also exposed to actual work processes and
technologies relevant to industry demands. In
turn, Samling benefits from having a skilled and
knowledgeable workforce that could provide a
long-term, valuable resource for the business.
career prospects with
saMling after coMpletion
of prograMMe
Our participation in the programme is a good
opportunity for us to train and identify ILP talents
to join the company’s workforce upon completion
of the industrial training. High potential students
6 Community Snapshots VOLUME 2: 2010/2011
would be offered employment upon graduation
within various divisions in the Group. The Group’s
diversified businesses and operations enable it to
facilitate a variety of industrial training placements
to complement job courses such as electrical wiring,
welding, heavy equipment repairs and maintenance
and product design offered by ILP. To date, the Group
has offered employment at its housing products
subsidiary, Samling Housing Products (“SHP”), to
seven trainees who have previously obtained their
skills qualification from ILP Miri. In addition, SHP has
trained them in the use of AutoCAD for the design of
furniture and has seconded two of the trainees to its
facilities in Port Klang.
Dialogue session between
company anD apprentices
On 19 March 2011, the company organised a
dialogue session between the company and
apprentices currently under Samling’s sponsorship.
The session aims to bring the ILP trainees together
to exchange feedback and to gain insight into
the progress of the training and development
programme. The company also intends to play
an active role in motivating the students and to
share its aspirations in making the programme a
success. We are encouraged by the commitment
and determination shown by this group of
apprentices in excelling in the programme.
Samling has set its sights on expanding the
training programme to include more skill sets
and provide more opportunities to local youths
to be trained as highly skilled employees.
Samling is also involved in the development of
the training syllabus together with ILP to ensure
that the course contents are relevant to market
requirements.
Adoption of
Expedition
Murray
to
track
down
the
Orang
Utan
Samling was instrumental in providing logistics
support for a 10-day 50-man expedition which set off
for the Pulong Tau National Park in northern Sarawak
in December 2009 to survey the existence of the rare
Sumatran rhinoceros. The expedition was organised by
the Forest Department, and comprised members from
the department, WWF Malaysia and Samling.
The rhinoceros, a species under Sarawak’s Wildlife Protection Ordinance,
was last seen more than 50 years ago in the upper Limbang area. There
is no historical record of a rhino population in Sarawak as the animal was
only known to roam in Sabah. However, a recent picture thought to be of a
rhinoceros taken by a camera trap near Batu Lawi inspired the expedition.
Bridge
to
Samling welcomes a new member to its family. His
name is Murray, and he is said to be intelligent but is
also known for his mischievous behaviour.
Murray is a 7-year-old orang utan, and the second offspring of his mother
Nora. Murray was officially adopted in November 2009 from Sarawak
Forestry Corporation.
Samling contributed a generous sum of RM30,000 for the adoption of Murray
from Semenggoh Wildlife Centre for three years.
food relief
Samling provides
to Penans in
Apart from providing access via our
logging roads and bridges, Samling
also directly contributes to the
communities directly by providing
assistance to build link roads and
bridges to connect villages to main
roads.
Bario, a village with eco-tourism potential located
in the Kelabit Highlands in Sarawak, is finally
accessible by road after the completion of a
wooden bridge built of the Group as part of its
community assistance programme.
Samling donated RM12,000 worth of emergency food relief in response
to the food shortage faced by the Penan settlements in the remote
Belaga District located in Kapit Division in August 2009. The company mobilised
resources from its timber camps in the Belaga region to dispatch 4,000kgs of rice and other food items
to 12 Penan villages affected by the food shortage situation.
Community Snapshots VOLUME 2: 2010/2011 7
Our Approach to
Corporate Social Responsibility
Samling’s work with the community is a continuing legacy of more than 15 years, and to this day, we
continue to take on the challenge of weaving Corporate Responsibility practices into our business. We
are conscious that Samling’s continued success and viable growth must go hand-in-hand with our role
as neighbours to communities and the wider society where we operate in.
Sarawak is home to a rich diversity of indigenous people. The Kenyah, Kelabit, Kayan, Iban, Penan, Punan, Lun Bawang and
many other tribes in Sarawak live within the areas of our operations. We have a long tradition of actively working with the
indigenous people to integrate and accommodate their community activities within our operations.
Our approach to Corporate Responsibility for the local communities in Sarawak broadly comprises :
Community
Assist nCe :
AssistA
Providing for
basic needs
Community SkillS
ProgrammeS :
Encouraging
sustainablE
livElihoods
Infrastructure :
ConneCting
Communities with
roads
We make it a point to regularly
engage in dialogue with local
indigenous communities before we
start any operations in their area
to promote greater understanding.
These fact-finding dialogues help
us understand and assess their
needs better before we invite them
to participate in our Community
Assistance Programme.
Our Community Skills Programmes
are about helping the communities
to create long-term, self-reliant,
economically vibrant communities in
the long-term. Once we have helped
communities secure the basic needs,
we assist with skill development
programmes to encourage and
promote a sustainable livelihood.
Forest lands and rivers are
intricate and often challenging
terrain. Travel is limited or avoided
altogether given the hours, days and
sometimes weeks to get from one
village to another.
The villages participating in our
Community Assistance Programme
benefit from projects that that
provide electricity, clean water
supply and building materials for
their homes, schools and places of
worship.
Requests are also often made for
the unexpected repair of bridges;
clearing roads from land slips;
maintaining the water pipes and
electrical wiring in villages, and a
host of other contributions to help
out in emergencies.
Donations are given during festive
seasons, especially Christmas to
help make a little difference in their
celebration.
ScholarShip and
BurSary programme :
NurturiNg Future
Leaders
To enrich the talent and skills
force in the countries in which
we operate, we grant annual
scholarships to students with
outstanding academic credentials
and leadership potential.
The bridges and road network we
Since the scholarship programme
use for our operations also provide
began in Malaysia in 2000, we have
access to the communities within
provided over RM800,000 to about
We work together with the
the areas of our operations. Over
36 students attending both local
communities and local government
the years we have also constructed
and foreign universities.
agencies on agricultural initiatives
feeder roads to some villages,
such as building nurseries,
schools, and other parts of the
organising talks and site visits,
forest, enabling easier and more
procuring seedlings, farming
convenient travelling for community
vegetables, growing fruit trees,
members. With better connection,
tending fish ponds and planting wet community members can use
paddy. With these acquired skills
these roads for access to medical
and tools in place, communities
treatment, to transport and sell their
gradually acquire the ability to share produce to nearby communities or
in the fruits of their labour and trade to us, enhancing their self-reliance.
with neighbouring communities.
This network of access roads, built
A number of pilot projects for
and maintained for the benefit of
agriculture and coffee planting
the communities, continues to be
are already underway. When fully
one of the most essential forms of
developed, these programmes will
assistance that we provide.
enable communities to become
This edition of Community Snapshots brings you up to date on some of the
self-supporting even when timber
community development programmes and projects that Samling has worked
companies no longer operate
on recently. Happy reading!
alongside them.
Community Snapshots is a publication of the Samling Group for private and internal circulation. The view and opinions expressed or implied in Community Snapshots are those of the authors or contributors and do not necessarily reflect those
of Samling, its directors or editorial staff. Unsolicited transparencies and articles are sent in at the owner’s risk and we accept no liability for loss or damage. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior or
express permission from Samling.
8 Community Snapshots Volume 2 : 2010/2011