GEORGE TOWN: Global chipmaker Intel Corp – via Intel Malaysia – is making an additional contribution towards Covid-19 relief efforts in the country.
Intel Malaysia today said in a statement it was earmarking an additional RM2 million to the already committed RM3.2 million it had made since the start of the pandemic last year.
The company's latest donation will target the following areas:
* Medical equipment and support for hospitals tackling Covid-19, focused on the Penang and Kulim, areas. Items provided will include oxygen concentrators, hospital beds, parameter monitors, advanced syringe pumps, nasal canula machine tubes and nose probes, etc;
* "Community Care" packages of food and essentials for underserved groups, including healthcare and security frontliners; and,
* Technological assistance to support the remote learning needs of underserved students.
These donations, Intel Malaysia said, are being administered and managed by the Penang Science Cluster to ensure the donations reach the institutions and individuals who need them in a timely manner.
"The healthcare system is under a huge strain right now, especially in states like Penang and Kedah where Covid-19 cases continue to rise.
"As a company that has deep roots in the country, we are committed to supporting the Malaysian community, and hope that our contributions help ease some of the burden on our brave healthcare frontliners so that they can continue to look after us all," said Intel Corporation's corporate vice-president and general manager of assembly test manufacturing, Robin Martin.
"I would also like to highlight the efforts and spirit of the employees at Intel Malaysia, who have been an active part of these contributions; be it their donations as part of the new funding allocation, or their time and personal resources towards collectively helping Malaysia overcome Covid-19."
Intel Malaysia said its latest donations build on a variety of major donations and initiatives that the company had undertaken since the start of the pandemic.
It stated that the initial RM3.2 million contribution went towards medical equipment like personal protective equipment, test kits, ventilators, patient monitors and air purifiers for general hospitals in Penang, Kedah, Perak, Selangor and Sabah, care packages for medical and security frontliners and food essentials to non-governmental organisations and underserved communities, as well as remote learning initiatives through technology such as the Penang Science Cluster Project Lit Up, Laptop-on-Loan Programme and the Penang State E-Learning initiative.
"In addition to the RM5 million Covid-19 relief fund commitment, Intel also set up the Intel Malaysia Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (IMCIP) to protect as many people as possible from Covid-19 through vaccinations and also keep its workforce safe," the company said.
"As part of the IMCIP, an on-site vaccination centre has been set up at Intel's Penang campus to vaccinate not just Intel employees, but also those from 115 neighbouring companies and their respective supplier companies.
"Through IMCIP, over 12,000 Intel employees and contingent workers, and over 5,400 employees from neighbouring companies in Penang have been fully vaccinated."
Intel Malaysia was the first offshore site for Intel Corporation, with more than RM22 billion invested since 1972.
Today, the company has over 12,000 employees in Malaysia.
