PETALING JAYA (Dec 14): S P Setia Bhd clinched the top spot in The Edge Malaysia Top Property Developers Awards (TPDA) 2020, marking the fifth consecutive year the company won the spot. It dropped to third and fourth positions in 2014 and 2015 respectively, before regaining the title in 2016.

S P Setia president and chief executive officer (CEO) Datuk Khor Chap Jen said the developer is elated to be awarded top honours for the 13th time.

“This would be impossible if not for the strong teamwork we have at Setia. It hasn’t been easy as we have been facing strong headwinds with the soft market and in addition to that, the unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic. No industry has been spared, but our team spirit persevered, and we rose up to overcome the odds by continuing to deliver our best. I would like to dedicate this win to Team Setia,” he added.

It has also earned two other awards, namely The Edge Malaysia Affordable Urban Housing Excellence Award for Sri Pinang Apartments in Setia Alam and The Edge Malaysia Outstanding Overseas Project Award for Parque in Melbourne.

S P Setia and Sunway Bhd — property division (No 3) are the winners of the Best in Qualitative Attributes sub-award.

Rounding the top 10 are Sime Darby Property Bhd (No 2), UOA Development Bhd (No 4), IJM Land Bhd (No 5), Gamuda Bhd — property division (No 5), UEM Sunrise Bhd (No 6), IOI Properties Group Bhd (No 6), Mah Sing Group Bhd (No 7), Eco World Development Group Bhd (EcoWorld) (No 8), Tropicana Corporation Bhd (No 9) and IGB Bhd (No 10).

IJM Land and Gamuda — property division shared the rank at No 5, while UEM Sunrise and IOI Properties shared the No 6 spot. Meanwhile, UOA Development won the Best in Quantitative Attributes sub-award.

The TPDA is evaluated based on both qualitative and quantitative attributes. In the qualitative category, judges evaluate each company based on its expertise, image, innovation and creativity, product quality and the value it creates for buyers.

Under the quantitative category, companies are evaluated based on their shareholders’ funds, turnover, profitability and cash or gearing. The scores and rankings for the TPDA are audited by Deloitte Malaysia.

The TPDA anchors TEPEA, which has in recent years expanded to include other sub-awards such as The Edge Malaysia-PEPS Value Creation Excellence Award, The Edge Malaysia-PAM Green Excellence Award, The Edge Malaysia Affordable Urban Housing Excellence Award, The Edge Malaysia Outstanding Property CEO Award and The Edge Malaysia Outstanding Overseas Project Award.

The Edge Media Group publisher and group CEO Datuk Ho Kay Tat noted that the TEPEA awards serve not just to recognise the best in property development but also to guide buyers who are looking for properties to buy. The idea is to help them make better decisions, especially during this period.

“Nations across the globe are facing an unprecedented pandemic and Malaysia is not excluded with businesses being badly affected. Nevertheless, we believe not only will strong players survive this challenging time, they will come out even stronger by adapting to the market needs.

“These awards provide a guide to the public on the strongest and best real estate players in the country. TEPEA has become an industry benchmark for companies which have sustainable financial strength and delivered quality products to their customers to be used as a home or as an investment asset,” said Ho.

In partnership with the Malaysian Institute of Architects, The Edge Malaysia-PAM Green Excellence Award recognises projects that demonstrate sustainable design innovation while contributing positively to the community. The winner is KLoe Hotel in Kuala Lumpur. Meanwhile, Sia Boey Urban Archaeological Park Phase 1 in Penang received the honourary mention.

The Edge Malaysia Affordable Urban Housing Excellence Award, which honours affordable housing projects for the urban middle-income group undertaken wholly by Malaysian private developers, has been awarded to joint winners Karisma Eco Majestic by EcoWorld and Sri Pinang Apartments by S P Setia. Both projects are in the Klang Valley.

The Edge Malaysia Outstanding Overseas Project Award has joint winners this year — London City Island by Eco World International Bhd and Parque in Melbourne by S P Setia.

The Edge Malaysia Property Excellence Awards is presented by City & Country, the property pullout of The Edge Malaysia weekly and supported by EdgeProp.my.

Edited by Erlynda Jacqui Chan

One kind word can warm three winter months: This Japanese proverb resonates strongly within the global context of the Covid-19 pandemic, terrorism and election drama in the United States.

With World Kindness Day having been marked on Nov 13, let’s remember that a simple act of kindness can have positive effects not only on its recipient, but also on its giver. So what do you have to lose?

Many studies conducted in the past have showcased the effects of good deeds, empathy and altruism on different types of stress.

A recent study on the subject, published in the journal Psychological Bulletin, showed a direct link between prosocial behaviour and well-being.

A team of researchers performed a meta-analysis of 201 studies comprising 198,213 participants in total.

They concluded that there is a direct association between better physical and mental health, and prosocial behaviour.

However, there are certain disparities depending on the deed.

Random acts of kindness, like helping your elderly neighbour carry his or her groceries conveyed more well-being than scheduled volunteering for a charity.

But that doesn’t mean that you should quit doing the latter!

“Prosocial behaviour – altruism, cooperation, trust and compassion – are all necessary ingredients of a harmonious and well-functioning society.

“It is part of the shared culture of humankind and our analysis shows that it also contributes to mental and physical health, ” said lead author and University of Hong Kong assistant professor Bryant P.H. Hui.

If kindness is first and foremost selfless, then as long as it is spontaneous and altruistic, it can also contribute to the giver’s own good and boost his or her health.
Last year, researchers founded the Bedari Kindness Institute as part of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

Its main goal is to help the public and to inspire leaders towards more kindness to build more humane societies.

“In the midst of current world politics, violence and strife, the UCLA Bedari Kindness Institute seeks to be an antidote, ” said UCLA social sciences division dean Darnell Hunt in an announcement about its launch.

One of the many benefits of kindness extolled by this institute is the fact that it prolongs life.

Benevolence could have positive effects on blood pressure and the immune system.

Scientists have noted that the reverse was also true. Being treated with contempt or indifference can shorten our life expectancy.

Good deeds therefore have positive effects for both giver and receiver.

And if you need more proof to adopt such behaviour, know that altruism, compassion and benevolence can also help fight depression and boost self-esteem. — AFP Relaxnews

PETALING JAYA (Nov 6): S P Setia Bhd has hoped for the government to taking the lead role in building affordable housing for the B40 income group as this will enable a more cohesive, consistent and efficient macro implementation and results while the developers can concentrate fully on the free market housing.

“However, developers can contribute to a fund for this purpose,” S P Setia Bhd president and CEO Datuk Khor Chap Jen (pictured) said in the post-budget feedback statement today.

Applauding the efforts of the government as laid out in Budget 2021 today by Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku Aziz, the developer stated that the initiative to provide comfortable and quality housing to the B40 category will be of much help. It was announced during the tabling of the Budget that the government will be allocating RM1.2 billion to this initiative  which include building more homes under the People’s Housing Project (PPR), Rumah Mesra Rakyat by Syarikat Perumahan Negara Berhad (SPNB) and Malaysia Civil Servants Housing Programme (PPAM); maintenance of low and medium-low cost strata-housing; and upgrading old houses and those damaged by natural disasters.

Besides that, the developer also lauded the government’s decision to provide Rent-to-Own (RtO) schemes for those eligible under the 1Malaysia People’s Housing Scheme (PR1MA).

“It would help ease the homeowners’ challenge to come up with the upfront down payments. We do, however, hope that the government would consider extending this scheme (RtO) beyond PR1MA as more eligible homebuyers will be able to benefit from this effort,” said Khor. Under Budget 2021, the government will be partnering with selected financial institutions to prepare 5,000 PR1MA housing units worth more than RM1 billion for first-time homebuyers only.

He added that the exemption of stamp duty on the Memorandum of Transfer (MoT) and legal fees will help to spur sales from first-time homebuyers. “Waiving this duty is a good move to help boost interest as it lessens the affordability gap for first-time homebuyers,” noted Khor.  This exemption is valid for the purchase of the first home priced below RM500,000 with agreements signed from Jan 1, 2021 to Dec 31, 2025.

Meanwhile, the decision to spend on large infrastructure projects will provide a big boost to the overall economy as well, Khor said. “It will impact the entire supply chain and rejuvenate the economy. By extension, it encourages real estate development over a larger area,” said Khor.

PETALING JAYA: Nearly a thousand students and teachers have been trained to be “Kindness Ambassadors” to spread positivity amid the Covid-19 pandemic – with help from some of the country’s most famous celebrities.

The online-based #StandTogether Kindness Workshops, funded by Unicef Malaysia as part of R.AGE and S P Setia’s #StandTogether Kindness Movement, has reached eight states so far, receiving glowing reviews from students and teachers who have participated.

“I feel a lot more educated on empathy and kindness after this workshop, ” added Pritika Nagaraj, 15, a student from SMK Convent Green Lane, Penang.

“Bullying is something we see around us all the time and we can feel like giving up, but workshops like these encourage us to take action, and overcome these challenges.”

“I am looking forward to sharing this experience with my friends, and am going to encourage them to be kinder to others, ” said Jamal Harith, a student participant from SMK Raja Chulan, Kuala Lumpur.

A special session is also aimed at teachers, who are given training on how to impart kindness and empathy to students, and to practise positive reinforcement instead of resorting to physical or emotional punishment.

“I am very happy the workshop has continued despite the change in circumstances, and this year there’s focus on developing empathy, which is really important, ” said SMK Paduka Tuan teacher Salzul Rahman, 38.

“My students are more aware of the nuances of bullying and I hope, moving forward, this workshop can be expanded further.”

The Kindness Workshops, endorsed by the Education Ministry, is a free online gathering for students with interactive games and activities to improve their empathy skills.

Workshops end with surprise appearances and motivational conversations by #StandTogether celebrity ambassadors such as Jinnyboy, Arwind Kumar, Lisa Surihani, Harith Iskander, Ismail Izzani, Nik Qistina, Farah Ann Abdul Hadi and more.

Schools and individual students can join by signing up for free at www.standtogether.my/kindnessworkshop. Certificates and co-curricular points are available for participants.

The #StandTogether National Kindness Week campaign was founded in 2017 by R.AGE and S P Setia to kickstart a “Kindness Revolution” in Malaysia, after becoming alarmed at the level of violence against children both in schools and online.

“It is easy to forget about kindness in the midst of this pandemic where many parents struggle with the uncertainties ahead for the families, ” said S P Setia head of group branding and communications Adelene Wong.

“These workshops are crucial reminders to our children and ourselves – that a little kindness, no matter how small, may have the biggest impact on others, ” she added.

This year’s Kindness Workshop programme was developed by empathy training experts Tribeless, and delivered by education programme organisers Study Hub Asia.

“We’re big believers in making empathy as practical and actionable as possible, so we integrated lots of experiential learning into the programme, and 90% of it are discussions, games and storytelling in small groups, ” said Tribeless founder Wong Gwen Yi.

“From the workshop, we found that bullying can happen to anyone, regardless of ethnicity, gender and seniority in school, ” said Study Hub co-founder Brian Law.

“A lot more needs to be done to promote empathy and kindness to break the cycle of violence against children.”

Ten more Kindness Workshop sessions are scheduled in October and early November, and will be open to all schools in Malaysia.

Unicef Malaysia will organise two sessions specially for individual participants (open to all below 25), as part of its KitaConnect youth network on Telegram, on Nov 3 and 4. Registration is at www.standtogether.my/kindnessworkshop-public.

R.AGE and S P Setia are also running the #StandTogether Kindness Leadership Programme, an online fellowship for all students from now until the year’s end, during which students can pitch for up to RM1,000 in a grant for Kindness Projects in their schools.

To sign up for all #StandTogether programmes, go to www.standtogether.my.

More than half of Edence and Florence — S P Setia Bhd’s latest offering in Setia Alamsari in Bangi — has been taken up since the launch on Sept 12.

Its general manager (niche development) Soh Wai Fong tells City & Country that it is the right time to launch more semi-detached homes, as the units previously launched there have been fully sold.

“From the success of our previous launches and in conjunction with the current Home Ownership Campaign, this is the right time to introduce our latest semi-detached home collections, Edence & Florence. They are also our last launch for this year in Setia Alamsari,” he says.

“There is always demand for better homes. People aspire to live in a more comfortable environment as their career progresses. And these demands have increased in the post-MCO (Movement Control Order) period, as people realise their need for a more spacious home.”

The Edence and Florence phases have a total gross development value of RM59.3 million and offer 36 two-storey semi-detached homes with a land size of 3,200 to 9,360 sq ft as well as a built-up area of 3,118 sq ft.

Each unit will have four bedrooms, four bathrooms and a powder room, and will be priced from RM1.52 million. The facilities include a jogging track, pavilion, children’s playground and outdoor fitness track.

Setia Alamsari was initially developed by S P Setia’s sister company, I&P Group Sdn Bhd, under the name Alam Sari. I&P Group started developing the first 432.5-acre parcel in 2007. Then, in 2017, S P Setia bought a 342.5-acre site nearby and acquired I&P Group.

The developer subsequently merged the two sites into a 775-acre township, and rebranded it as Setia Alamsari.

The launches after the merger included several phases of landed homes such as terraced homes, superlink homes, semi-detached homes and bungalows, priced from RM668,000 to RM3.2 million. Soh says all the terraced and semi-detached homes have been fully sold.

“Most of our buyers are from the surrounding areas such as Bangi, Kajang, Seri Kembangan and Petaling Jaya, as well as existing residents of Setia Alamsari. Most of them are looking to upgrade from their existing homes. With the experience of staying home during the MCO, more people realise the need for more space at home, be it for working from home, a garden for their children to play in or even family spaces,” he says.

He reckons that the main challenge in the current market conditions is getting end-financing approval, as banks are cautious in lending to property buyers these days.

To mitigate this issue, he adds, S P Setia is offering a zero-downpayment plan and attractive rebates to help customers with their initial payments.

Meanwhile, the developer is planning more launches of terraced homes in Setia Alamsari and Soh says that it is currently in the midst of getting approvals from the relevant authorities. Scheduled for next year, they will include terraced homes of 20ft by 65ft and 22ft by 75ft as well as cluster homes.

Leona Safarita, an Orang Asli of Semai descent, had an upbringing that was rooted in kindness.

Her father, Rosli Bah Air, was adopted as a 14-year-old by a Chinese man named Chan Lai Tuck, who wanted to give him a better future.

“We can’t imagine what would have happened if my dad wasn’t adopted by him. We feel so lucky and grateful for his kindness, ” said Leona, 21.

Apart from her father, Chan adopted three other boys – Yong Soo Fatt and Phon Kon Sen – whom she fondly refers to as “uncles”.

“Now they are the ones who are helping my family and paying for my studies, ” she said, adding that Chan passed away four years ago.

“He had no wife or (biological) children, so we took care of him until he passed away. For us, it is our way of repaying him for taking us into his care, ” she said.

Leona shared her story with us in support of the #StandTogether Kindness Movement, organised by R.AGE and S P Setia to create a new culture of kindness and empathy throughout Malaysian society – starting with schools.

For the second year running, Orang Asli communities will be actively involved in the campaign, to support Orang Asli children who are struggling with being bullied or misunderstood in schools.

Leona, who is currently in the second year of her degree in English Language Studies, said she had experienced bullying as a child as well.

“They called me ‘sakai’, ‘pig’, and ‘dark’, ” said Leona, who admitted to feeling lonely in school.

“I was really slow at catching what the teacher was teaching, so some of my classmates would exclude me from activities, ” she shared.

Many of her Orang Asli friends dropped out of school due to bullying.

One of them was Adi Hadzil, 20, an Orang Asli of Semelai descent.

“They called me sakai without actually knowing the meaning of it.

“People should stop using words like sakai and ‘jakun’, as they are sensitive words to the Orang Asli community, ” said Adi.

He found solace in other Orang Asli friends who went through similar experiences.

“We could only rely on one another, as we are the only ones who knew what each other was going through, ” said Adi, who hails from Perak.

Leona believes the bullying she went through was the result of ignorance.

“I remember once when my sister was playing with her friends in the school playground and her friend’s parents said, ‘Look at that sakai.

“So it is clear where children learn such things, ” she said.

Leona added that the #StandTogether campaign’s focus on kindness and empathy is most apt since these values can help people really understand what it feels like to be bullied.

“I also hope this campaign can change the way the Orang Asli community thinks, and encourage them to ignore bullies and just go to school and continue doing what they want, ” she said.

The #StandTogether campaign was founded in 2017 by R.AGE and S P Setia to counter the growing cases of bullying in schools and on social media.

The campaign is supported by various stakeholders, including the Education Ministry, Unicef Malaysia, Study Hub Asia, Childline, UMCares, Digi, Tribeless, and Teach For Malaysia.

All students and teachers can participate by signing up for the #StandTogether Kindness Workshops, a series of gatherings for students to participate in empathy-building games and activities designed by Tribeless.

Students can also participate in the #StandTogether Kindness Leadership Programme, which is an online fellowship with e-learning programmes on empathy skills, a peer support network for students, and up to RM40,000 in grant funding for school Kindness Projects which participating students can pitch for.

To sign up for the Kindness Leadership Programme, go to www.standtogether.my/kindnessleaders.

For more information on the Kindness Workshops, contact Richie Lee from Study Hub Asia (0178878814 or richie@studyhub.asia).

Participating students will receive certificates and co-curricular points recognised by the Education Ministry.

“Small lamb” – that’s how social activist Syed Azmi Alhabshi signs off on his social media posts, which frequently go viral.

Despite the humble nickname he has given himself, Syed Azmi can often feel like a force of nature, going out on his own and using his social media presence to help protect at-risk children and support low-income communities.

And now, Syed Azmi will be lending that same influence and determination to the #StandTogether Kindness Movement, a campaign founded by R.AGE and SP Setia to create a kinder, more empathetic Malaysia, starting in schools.

“I first heard about this campaign from Lisa Surihani (who is a #StandTogether Celebrity Ambassador and Unicef Special Representative). She really believes in the cause, and using kindness to prevent bullying,” he said, while filming a powerful video with the R.AGE team.

To him, the nationwide campaign – which focuses on empowering students to be kinder and more empathetic – has created more impact than any other “anti-bullying” campaign could.

“The ripple effect is much bigger. Children in schools are now trying so hard to show what they care about, and with such limited resources. They’re working together with the right values, like respect, tolerance, and kindness.

“And you won’t even see the real effects of it immediately, but the change will definitely be there. But even if you change just one person, that is more than success to me,” he added.

Syed Azmi had never planned on being a social activist. He was working in a rural town in Muar, Johor, when he was alerted to several cases of people needing urgent help.

But because there weren’t enough NGOs around to provide assistance, he decided to leave his full-time job behind, and start solving those problems himself.

“The way to solve a problem is to actually go (to where the people are) and solve the problem. But to do that, you need to have the knowledge, experience and network.

“So that was the pivotal moment when I thought: ‘enough of hearing complaints – it’s time for me to be that do-gooder’ myself,” he said.

However, he immediately discovered a fresh challenge in his newfound activism, especially when it came to changing people’s mindsets.

He famously received criticism and death threats from netizens when he organised an event called “I Want To Touch A Dog” five years ago, which explored the issue of whether Muslims were allowed to interact with dogs.

“It was a difficult time for me and my family, and because of that I didn’t know who to trust, or if my family members would look at me the same again.

“So I took the number one tool that I had, besides believing in God, which was to be kind and not judgemental,” he shared.

“That was the turning point where I believed that if we are kind, people will listen. It takes time, but that’s the challenge.”

Although Syed Azmi has spent years working hard for those in need, he shares that he frequently receives kindness from people around him too.

“When I first started out, I didn’t expect people to give me money and all that, but a lot of them gave me back in kind.

“One of the best things is that whenever I feel really tired and I need to go save a child somewhere, I write about it on social media, and people come forward and offer to be my driver!” he added.

Syed Azmi will join a host of other #StandTogether Celebrity Ambassadors – including Lisa Surihani, Arwind Kumar, Harith Iskander, Ismail Izzani, JinnyBoy, Nik Qistina, and Chef Wan – in supporting schools and students who want to join the Kindness Movement.

In previous years, the Celebrity Ambassadors would visit some of the participating students at their schools, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic, they will be speaking to the students on Zoom instead.

Aside from Syed Azmi, new Celebrity Ambassadors this year will include national gymnast Farah Ann Abdul Hadi and model/host/activist Deborah Henry.

SHAH ALAM: In the corporate world, leaders must stand up as moral compasses for their people, says a corporate leader.

“It is very important. It is very essential. Be a moral compass and direct them the right way,’’ said SP Setia Bhd chief operating officer and deputy president Datuk Wong Tuck Wai.

Wong, who was one of the speakers at a forum during the launch of the Setia Leadership Re-Imagined Network yesterday, also said leaders must be empathetic rather than autocratic.

The platform was launched with the goal to inspire the company’s leaders to grow and achieve greater heights, both personally and professionally.

Wong said one of the prerequisites of a leader in an organisation like SP Setia was to be empathetic.

“Empathy is actually the way. Being an autocratic leader is more difficult than an empathetic leader,’’ said Wong.

He added that people would do things willingly for empathetic leaders while it would be done out of fear for autocratic leaders.

“Leaders must be good communicators who are able to relay clear messages to their subordinates.

“At all times, leaders must stay engaged with their staff,’’ he said.

The event was part of the conglomerate’s empathetic leadership exercise for its management staff, who were graduates of the Setia Leadership Series programme.

More than 200 people attended the event, moderated by SP Setia’s chief human resources officer Nadiah Tan Abdullah, both on the ground and virtually.

Other guest speakers were founder and chief executive officer of Naluri Hidup Sdn Bhd Azran Osman Rani and Star Media Group’s youth news and lifestyle platform R.AGE editor Ian Yee.

Earlier, before the speakers were invited to share their opinions, SP Setia president and CEO Datuk Khor Chap Jen said leaders must apply what they learned.

“Otherwise, it will become rusty. Everyone must learn from one another as they are all experts in their own way.

“You must always acknowledge that you are not better than the other person, including subordinates, and must always be humble and learn from them,’’ Khor said.

He also said leaders must not follow the “old sifu” style of teaching where only 90% of knowledge was imparted.

“Do not fear that our positions could be usurped if we parted with our knowledge.

“Leaders must also nip office politics in the bud as it would prevent equitable sharing of knowledge,” he said.

WITH pretty much the entire world reeling from the Covid-19 pandemic, the concept of empathetic leadership has shot straight into the spotlight.

A study by Trinity College showed that countries with female leaders have six times fewer Covid-19 deaths compared to male-led countries, a fact that has been widely attributed to a more empathetic approach by women leaders.

Coincidentally, in Malaysia, the annual #StandTogether National Kindness Week movement had chosen empathy-based education as its focus for 2020, and Tribeless, an innovative young company, will be providing the foundations.

Founded by Wong Gwen Yi, Tribeless has been running empathy skills workshops for groups ranging from schools to corporates – and even the Obama Foundation!

And now, they’ve designed an experiential online empathy programme for #StandTogether and the Education Ministry known as The Kindness Tour, which will be run for over 750 schools in every state in the country via Zoom.

“Back when I was in school, there was a disproportionately heavy emphasis on achievement and academia — sometimes at the expense of our individuality or wellbeing,” said Wong.

“Creating an empathetic approach in schools is simply seeing both students and teachers as human — with their own needs, wants, fears and dreams — and creating spaces for both parties to fully express and explore what they want to do and who they want to be.”

What inspired you to want to teach people to be empathetic?

In 2016, I had a massive mental health breakdown. It caused me to drop out of university, give up on my Silicon Valley dreams, and move home to Malaysia. It was the loneliest, lowest point of my life. I realized how much I craved open, honest, mutually supportive conversations with other people who wouldn’t judge me or give me unsolicited advice.

I started hosting dinner parties for people to gather, with one explicit rule: No Small Talk. The more dinner parties I hosted, the more I noticed a pattern: even though the guests and venues and topics were always different, the safe space remained. People were laughing, crying, and opening up about things they hadn’t even told their friends or family.

What makes a person feel safe enough to share their life story with a group of people they’d just met? The key factor, we discovered, was empathy – the ability to feel and relate to another human being.

Slowly but surely, I began to heal. I gained the courage to start being more vulnerable and authentic with the people around me. It has led to fuller, richer relationships – and a much more meaningful life.

What’s the biggest misconception people have about your work?

That empathy should come naturally to us. We are born with empathetic traits, but it’s like a muscle: we’ve got to use it, or lose it.

In the world we live in today, there are so many factors that conspire to make us less empathetic than we really are: social media filter bubbles, shorter attention spans, instant gratification at our fingertips, an over-abundance of knowledge (so everyone assumes they know everything before getting to know someone else’s perspective), etc. The good news? The more time and effort we invest into “building” our empathy muscle, the stronger it will be.

What are your thoughts about the #StandTogether Kindness campaign?

When I first heard about #StandTogether, it reminded me of an anti-bullying programme I watched on the Oprah Show when I was a teenager.

They brought the whole school together for a day, and taught them how to be open, honest, and kind. It was amazing! I remember wishing something like this would come to Malaysian schools.

The #StandTogether campaign is a very unconventional approach to the topic of bullying. Instead of fighting it head-on, it empowers students to focus on what they can do instead – understanding the types of bullying, developing practical empathy skills, and practicing kindness towards one another.

This creates a culture of compassion and support that will – hopefully – prevent bullying from happening in the first place.

The #StandTogether campaign is organised by R.AGE and SP Setia, with support from Unicef Malaysia and the Ministry of Education. Schools can sign up at www.standtogether.my, or by emailing alltherage@thestar.com.my.

PETALING JAYA: Students and teachers can finally mark the long-awaited #StandTogether National Kindness Week, which kicks off today after a five-month delay due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The campaign, recognised by the United Nations in a global report, has returned with a series of online-based experiences including the Kindness Challenge, Kindness Workshops, and Kindness Leaders Programme; all available at www.standtogether.my.

“The Kindness Workshop is interesting. Even though it was conducted online, I still had fun and I learned a lot of useful things about bullying, gratitude and empathy, ” said SM Sri KDU student Abdul Halim Mohd Nadziruddin, who joined a trial run of the programme.

Now entering its third year, the #StandTogether campaign was founded in 2017 by Star Media Group’s award-winning R.AGE team and property developer SP Setia, in response to a spate of school violence and bullying cases shared on social media.

The campaign is endorsed by the Education Ministry.

R.AGE deputy executive editor Ian Yee said the theme this year was #EmpathyEmpowers, as it seeks to reimagine an education system that’s founded on empathy and kindness, not just academic achievement.

“The pandemic has given us time to rethink the importance of kindness and empathy in society, and we hope that translates into an education system that’s no longer just based on academics, competition, and punishment, ” he said.

SP Setia Head of Group Branding and Communications Adelene Wong said parents should take the opportunity presented by lockdown rules to “reflect” with their children.

“It has been a great opportunity for families to reflect on their key values, and that’s why we feel it is important that the #StandTogether campaign continues, in order to reinforce positive values like kindness and empathy, ” she said.

Since its inception, many organisations have supported the campaign as partners, including Unicef Malaysia, Study Hub Asia, Childline Foundation, Teach For Malaysia, and Digi.

Unicef Malaysia Chief of Communication and Public Advocacy Marc Vergara said that while nurturing empathy may sound unimportant to some, it can create an impact on society, especially when it starts at school.

“I think we need to focus on the practical implications of empathy, working with the ministry and partners to show that it is possible to have a different kind of education.

“Disciplinary measures have an impact not only on the education of each individual but also on the system as a whole, ” he said.

Digi Head of Sustainability Philip Ling added that the 1,000% increase in calls to Childline Foundation’s helpline demonstrates how the campaign is “more relevant than ever”.

“Kids are going online much more due to Covid-19 and I am sure the experiences or stress that comes with cyberbullying is much higher, ” he said.

Two new organisations have joined the campaign as partners this year – Universiti Malaya’s Community and Sustainability Centre (UMCares), and empathy skills training company Tribeless.

“We think that there’s a lot of opportunity for growth in this area (kindness and empathy education), through the present modules that have been initiated in the campaign, and it will definitely benefit the teachers and students moving forward, ” said UMCares director Dr Amer Saddiq Siddiq Amer Nordin

UMCares, in collaboration with Unicef and R.AGE, will also be looking into research and development on empathy education programmes that will then be recommended to the Education Ministry.

The public can participate in National Kindness Week by joining the Kindness Challenge, an interactive WhatsApp chatbot which sends daily “Kindness Missions” to participants over five days.

Students and teachers, on the other hand, can take part in the Kindness Workshops and Kindness Leadership Programme.

Students who complete the Leadership Programme can then pitch for RM1,000 in grant funding to run kindness projects in their schools.

To sign up, go to www.standtogether.my.