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42 ENSURING EXIM BANK MALAYSIA
SUSTAINABILITY

OUR CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY JOURNEY

Community EXIM Bank is committed in investing time, expertise and resources to make a sustainable
difference through meaningful projects, financial aid and material contributions.

STAGGERING FACTS ON ENERGY
POVERTY AMONG ORANG ASLI
COMMUNITIES
★ 156,800 Orang Asli have no
access to electricity.
★ They need to travel an average
of 20km to purchase fuel.
★ They only have eight hours
of sunlight for them to be
productive, they cannot study or
work late into the night.
FULFILLING NEEDS THROUGH THE ALL-LIGHTS VILLAGE PROJECT ★ Purchasing batteries to light
While the COVID-19 pandemic has adversely impacted the country in many ways, up torchlights and charge
the effect on marginalised groups are particularly dire. This is evident in Orang Asli handphones is costly. An
communities, who rank in the lowest end of the Bottom 40 (“B40”) socioeconomic average of RM1,872 a year is
background with 50% categorised as poor, and one-third of them falling under the needed for an Orang Asli to
hard-core poor group, trapped in a cycle of poverty. charge their phone.
★ They struggle with health risks
Through Global Peace Foundation Malaysia, an NGO that works with underserved Orang since burning palm fruits or
Asli communities, EXIM Bank was made aware of staggering facts on the challenges of using diesel lanterns as a
energy poverty that pushes them further from mainstream society. This led to the Bank source of light emits a lot of
extending a helping hand through partnership in the All-Lights Village project for four unhealthy indoor smoke.
Orang Asli villages in the Pekan and Rompin districts of Pahang.
The partnership provides a renewable and sustainable solar energy solution – the
Sun King Home 120 Solar system – to elevate the quality of life and productivity for 45
households, or 150 villagers.

Making energy more accessible to these communities is vital in elevating them from
the vicious poverty cycle that traps them from being self-sustaining for themselves and Life is easier now. I keep the
their families. By providing each family with a sustainable energy source, they enjoy solar on from night until the next
cascading benefits that improve their productivity and quality of life in the long term. morning and the battery still lasts,
Sustainable impact was achieved as the project was executed in well-planned stages, and remains bright too. I can do
house chores outside, clean the
which included community engagements and buy-in, solar distribution and installation, house and even cook a bit later
training of selected villagers to maintain the system, and focus groups to assess the than usual. My children now are
benefits delivered.
happy to play around without being
From the pre and post assessments conducted, it was found that 98% of the villagers afraid of the dark. Going in and
are now able to carry out their daily chores through the night with ease (previously only about house is so much easier now.
12% could do it); 100% of villagers now have electricity and mentioned they are satisfied Maizura binti Sulong
with the system they now own, and finally, 100% are now able to charge their mobile from Kg Terubing 1,
phones at their own home (previously only 9%). All-Lights programme recipient