BENGOH Resettlement Scheme
Naim Holdings Berhad
This programme has created the desire in the communities to change for the better and will set a platform for opportunities to improve their lives; a new beginning for those concerned.
INTRODUCTION
As Sarawak’s leading developer of townships and integrated flagship developments in Kuching, Miri and Bintulu, Naim has built more than 16,000 houses for the Sarawak community. Naim is also a Class A Contractor with ISO 9001 certification and has completed approximately RM5 billion worth of projects to date (including own developments).The programme was implemented to empower and enhance the quality of life of the communities of 4 remote villages to be resettled due to the eventual impoundment of the Bengoh Dam. The remote locations of these villages (with most villagers attaining only primary school education), acted as a barrier of awareness for the benefits of participating in Sarawak’s mainstream development.
The programme objectives included facilitating the communities’ participation in Sarawak’s mainstream development, setting the wheels in motion for a mindset change, providing desired amenities to ensure their comfort and promoting integration among the communities, and providing employment to community members for a better quality of life and inculcating within them transferrable values at the workplace (e.g. teamwork, health and safety and work discipline, allowing them to be ‘ambassadors’ of change within their own communities).
FRAMEWORK AND STRATEGY
The programme was implemented via the formation of the BRS CSR Task Force to oversee implementation matters, community engagement, participation in community-related activities organised by the villages, paid employment for villagers and ‘on-the-job’ training, scholarships for higher education, financial contributions prior to major festivals and other causes, the building of 1 church, 1 chapel, 2 priest houses and 4 community halls and the handing over of Naim site office to the State Education Department to become a temporary school for the children.Naim is a strong advocate of employee participation in CSR programmes where staff participation enabled them to facilitate a mindset change via action; i.e. to ‘walk the talk’ and by being role models by conducting themselves in a value-driven manner. This has made the staff better people, professionally and otherwise, and promoted greater teamwork.
ACHIEVEMENT AND IMPACT
The program has ‘opened the mind’ of the villagers by involving the State’s mainstream development to facilitate their attainment of better quality of life, being aware that higher education is the key to ensuring a brighter future, especially for the younger generation, and that a better quality of life can be achieved through paid employment, hard work and upskilling, which essentially increases employability.During the tenure of this programme, a total of 3 young adults received scholarships to pursue their higher education in local varsities, while more than 100 villagers were employed for and provided with ‘on-the-job’ training on building works during peak times.
Naim also spent approximately RM3.5 million on construction for the church, chapel, priest houses and community halls, while the site office was built at an approximate cost of RM320,000.
FUTURE DIRECTION
As with all Naim’s CSR programmes, those who have been trained and are deemed suitable would be offered opportunities for employment in other construction projects.More importantly, this programme has created the desire in the communities to change for the better and will set a platform for opportunities to improve their lives; a new beginning for those concerned.
Founded in Sarawak in 1993 and listed on the Main Board of Bursa Malaysia since 2003, Naim’s core businesses are, Integrated property development, Engineering and Construction, and Oil and gas (infrastructure projects and services).
