This printed article is located at http://okp.listedcompany.com/csr.html

Corporate Social Responsibility

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is widely acknowledged as a good business practice. According to the Financial Times, CSR is a business approach that contributes to sustainable development by delivering economic, social and environmental benefits for all stakeholders.

Over the past decades, there has been a growing awareness in Singapore and worldwide that implementing CSR activities can offer businesses a competitive advantage over others who are of the view that CSR cannot contribute to their bottom-line. It is increasingly accepted in many companies, which make CSR practices an important aspect of their business operations as they realise that implementing sound CSR practices can bring about many advantages. These include creating a good reputation and high morale among staff, which results in enhanced productivity and more effective performance, thereby drawing more investors.

Well-respected global business leaders have given credit to the importance of CSR as part of their business goals. For example, Mr Niall Fitzerald, former CEO, Unilever pointed out: “Corporate social responsibility is a hardedged business decision. Not because it is a nice thing to do or because people are forcing us to do it... because it is good for our business.”

Another prominent business leader, Mr Jeroen van der Veer, Committee of Managing Directors (Shell) said: “In my view, the successful companies of the future will be those that integrate business and employees’ personal values. The best people want to do work that contributes to society with a company whose values they share, where their actions count and their views matter.”

Our Group seeks to be a good corporate citizen, and as such, we conduct our business in a sustainable way that provides positive economic, social and environmental impact for our stakeholders and their environments. At OKP, we diligently apply best practices in all our business operations, and this incorporates giving back to society, especially in providing support to the less fortunate and disadvantaged members of the community. We offer financial assistance through sponsorships and donations to various charitable groups and causes. We also instil a spirit of volunteerism among our workforce so that they volunteer their time and efforts towards helping worthy causes. We also provide our employees with opportunities to be responsible citizens as they participate in various fundraising programmes for specific causes.

We contribute to the community by taking part in fundraising events and philanthropic activities and through our annual Charities of the Year programme.

In 2020, we contributed to two compassionate funds to support construction companies and migrant workers in view of the Covid-19 pandemic. We provide financial support and help to the following charities and community organisations:

• Singapore Contractors Association (SCAL) – Singapore Business Federation (SBF) Foundation Compassion Fund to help the construction sector with temporary relief to ease financial difficulties of construction companies;
• Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (ASME)- SBF Foundation Compassion Fund for Migrant Workers to provide these workers with support and assistance;
• Building fund for the Singapore Buddhist Lodge;
• Relief, Singapore’s leading independent disaster relief agency, for its Ground Zero Run for Humanity; Adventist Nursing & Rehabilitation Centre, a voluntary welfare organisation which provides physiotherapy and rehabilitation for victims of stroke, head and spinal injury following accidents and other chronic neuromuscular disorders;
• Students Care Service which has four centres with a team of caring professionals, that are committed to serving children and youth in Singapore, enabling them to maximise their potential;
• Pasir Ris East Zone Community Club for its Marathon Ekiden Charity Run to raise funds for its Community Development and Welfare Fund which sponsors bursary awards and good progress awards;
• Tampines Changkat Consultative Committee for its Festive Wishes Come True event, which brings joy to underprivileged children by fulfilling their wishes during Christmas;
• Tagore Business Association, a group formed to enhance Tagore Industrial Estate’s business environment and promote the welfare of businesses, for its Tagore Award which serves to nurture, support and spur them towards achieving business excellence;
• Nanyang Technological University’s Computer Science and Engineering Club for its overseas community projects;
• Chee Hoon Kog Moral Promotion Society, a charity which accepts non-paying residents recommended by the Ministry of Social and Family Development, Ministry of Health or through medical social workers of hospitals;
• Mouth and Foot Painting Artists Pte Ltd, an international for-profit association wholly-owned and run by disabled artists to help them meet their financial needs;
• World Children’s Fund HK Ltd, a non-profit charitable organisation whose purpose is to facilitate caring and sharing of aid to needy and suffering children in crisis situations worldwide;
• The Singapore Association for the Deaf, which serves the deaf and hard-of-hearing community with a mission to assist them in achieving a better quality of life and enabling them to integrate and contribute to society;
• Playeum Ltd, a charitable centre for creativity and culture in order to nurture the next generation of creators, innovators and thinkers, by engaging children and families in over 150 programmes and novel experiences through collaborations with museums, public institutions and creative practitioners;
• Halogen Foundation Singapore, a values–based, notfor- profit institution dedicated to youth leadership and entrepreneurship development, and Halogen Yellow Diamond Charity Gala Dinner;
• Singapore Red Cross, an independent humanitarian society which provides assistance in relief operations in times of disaster, and in auxiliary health and welfare services to the sick, handicapped, aged and poor; and voluntary aid to the sick and wounded in time of war; and to prisoners of war and civilians suffering from the effects of war;
• Singapore Children’s Society’s 1000 Enterprises for Children-in-need Project, that helps protect and nurture children and youths, particularly those who are abused or neglected, and those from dysfunctional families;
• Dyslexia Association of Singapore, a society with its team of psychologists and specialist teachers providing help to over 1,000 dyslexic children from more than 250 schools;
• Ang Mo Kio-Thye Hua Kwan hospital, a leading voluntary welfare organisation running a 200-bed hospital providing rehabilitation and geriatric care;
• Singapore Heart Foundation, which advocates health and plays a proactive role in helping heart patients and their families and in equipping the community with information and skills for better heart care;
• Community Chest, the fundraising division of the National Council of Social Service that raises funds for the many charities that it supports in aid of the disadvantaged in society;
• Disabled People’s Association, a self-funded voluntary welfare organisation that helps people with disabilities to become valuable, contributing members of the society;
• Handicaps Welfare Association, an organisation that is run by people with disabilities, for people with disabilities, to promote self-help and provide mutual support among the disabled in Singapore;
• Kidney Dialysis Foundation, a non-profit charitable organisation providing subsidised dialysis treatment to patients, who could not afford treatment due to financial difficulties;
• Leukemia & Lymphoma Foundation that helps pay for, either fully or partially, all costs related to the treatment of leukemia, lymphoma and similar blood-related disorders in its patients;
• Teen Challenge Singapore, an organisation that provides counselling, drop-in facilities for youth requiring close supervision, and residential care for individuals recovering from various forms of lifecontrolling problems, including teenage and adult drug and alcohol abusers;
• Yellow Ribbon Fund, a project to help rebuild lives of ex-offenders released from the various prisons and drug rehabilitation centres;
• Singapore Gymnastics, the national sports association for gymnastics in Singapore, with funds raised for running and administering its various gymnastics programmes;
• Casa Raudha Women Home, which aims to provide a temporary refuge for women and their children who have been the victims of injustice and domestic violence; and
• Caritas Singapore, the official social and community arm of the Catholic Church in Singapore, and the umbrella body for 27 Catholic charities and organisations whose work has touched the lives of many, regardless of race or religion

We also sponsor activities organised by various organisations such as schools, religious and grassroots organisations, and the Community Development Council. In addition, we have sponsored many fundraising golf tournaments such as for Pertapis Education and Welfare Centre, Tentera Diraja Mosque, National University of Singapore’s Building & Estate Management Alumni; Land Transport Authority, Tunnelling and Underground Construction Society (Singapore) and Ngee Soon Group Representation Constituency. We also sponsored the People’s Association Community Centres/Clubs Building Fund, and Singapore Institute of Building Limited’s movie event.