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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.