KOTA KINABALU, 13 June 2020 – Carlsberg Malaysia’s Safer Schools initiative has kicked off in Sabah with the donation of thermometers to 80 vernacular schools, which will each receive at least two thermometers each as an added level of assurance to parents, teachers and students when classes reopen after the new Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO).

From this number, 11 schools have been earmarked to receive additional disinfection services when classes resume due to their location in high-risk areas. Altogether, the brewer’s contribution towards safer Sabahan schools represents a donation value of RM54,000 benefitting 43,000 students.

The donation handover at the Federation of Chinese Associations Sabah today was in recognition of the partnership between Carlsberg Malaysia and the Federation of Chinese Associations of Malaysia (Hua Zong) for the execution of the Safer Schools campaign and was attended by principals of recipient schools.

Yong Tze Heng, Carlsberg Malaysia’s Senior Sales Manager in Kota Kinabalu, said, “In these trying times, we believe our initiative for safer school environments is a timely and invaluable contribution in line with Carlsberg’s purpose of Brewing for a Better Today & Tomorrow. We are doubly appreciative of the support of our consumers, customers and communities in Sabah and are humbled to contribute towards our recovery as a society through this gesture.”

Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Dr. Goh Tian Chuan, President of the Federation of Chinese Associations of Malaysia and the Federation of Chinese Associations Sabah commended Carlsberg for the initiative, adding, “The government’s announcement of the RMCO follows better control of Covid-19 infections and schooling will eventually resume. While we look forward to that, schools still pose infection risks from mass gatherings. Prevention is better than cure and it is necessary to take precautions and adopt standard procedures to ensure the safety of teachers and students when classes resume.”

Carlsberg Malaysia’s Safer Schools contribution, which was announced in early April, was extended to accommodate all applications throughout Malaysia by upping the total number of donated thermometers to 3,600 units and increasing disinfection services to cover 8.4 million square feet within school compounds – providing peace of mind to around 1,440 schools and an estimated 1 million schoolchildren.

The Safer Schools initiative is part of Carlsberg Malaysia’s extraordinary measures during the Covid-19 pandemic for its customers, consumers, and local communities, collectively named Safer Together.

In May, the brewer announced a RM3.5 million subsidy and promotion to smoothen traditional eateries’ business recovery. Under a collaboration with the Malaysia Singapore Coffee Shop Proprietors General Association (MSCSPGA), 1,000 small and medium-sized coffee shop operators nationwide received a three-month subsidy on utilities from Carlsberg helping to defray their fixed operating costs. In addition, for every big bottle of Carlsberg Smooth Draught sold, Carlsberg will donate an additional RM0.50 to participating operators, increasing their profit margin for a smoother recovery. In Sabah, 37 coffee shops are beneficiaries of this fund relief with 71 participating in the consumer promotion.

To help bars, restaurants and bistros reopen under the RMCO while adhering to social distancing measures, Carlsberg also introduced Adopt a Keg, rewarding consumers with a total of 20,000 complimentary beers by filling up their own virtual beer keg at adoptakeg.carlsberg.com.my. Consumers can then redeem their complimentary beer at participating outlets throughout Malaysia and support local F&B businesses with additional purchases of 100 glasses for only RM500 that can be redeemed over the coming months at outlets of their choice.