On a mission to spread kindness
SP Setia CEO is committed to creating a positive society beyond schools
PARIT BUNTAR: He might be the CEO of SP Setia, one of Malaysia’s top property developers, but Datuk Khor Chap Jen has nevertheless thrown himself headfirst into the humble mission of spreading kindness.
Khor made an emotional return to his alma mater, SMK Methodist Parit Buntar, yesterday to spread the word of his company’s hugely successful #StandTogether National Kindness Week movement.
“It feels really good to be back where I have so many happy memories,” he said, adding that it reinforced his belief that corporations have a role to play in creating a positive society.
“Schools are where the future lives, which is why we want to see the values we uphold in SP Setia, like kindness and supporting each other, become part of school culture.”
The #StandTogether movement, which SP Setia co-founded with the award-winning R.AGE team, has been adopted in hundreds of schools across the country, inspiring a new generation of kinder Malaysians.
This year alone, over 8,000 Malaysians signed up online to support the campaign.
SP Setia and R.AGE also gave out a total of RM40,000 in grant funding to support student-led Kindness Projects across the country.
Despite his delight over the campaign’s “tremendous” achievements, Khor is already looking forward to taking #StandTogether to new heights by reaching out beyond schools.
“Schools are now aware, but parents and corporations aren’t there yet. Schools are only part of the students’ lives. At home, parents and society at large need to work together (to inspire kindness),” he said.
Khor attributes much of SP Setia’s success to a foundation of kindness, and he believes firmly in the importance of building kinder and happier communities throughout the country.
“Our new tagline, ‘Stay Together. Stay Setia’, ties in with our commitment to kindness,” he said.
“When people stay together, all problems can be solved together, and that’s where kindness and loyalty comes in.”
Students at the school were left inspired by the story of how Khor went from small-town boy to be a successful CEO.
“I used to think that because I’m from a small town, it will be difficult for me to become successful. But after his speech, I feel more confident. He’s my role model, not just for success, but also for being kind to others,” said student Ding Ming Zhi, 17.
School principal Saravanan Muniandy was also left inspired after National Kindness Week and Khor’s subsequent school visit.
“Datuk Khor’s visit has motivated the students. They are used to thinking that small-town schools are nothing. But Datuk is proof that our students here can rise up from a small town and excel,” said Saravanan.
The #StandTogether campaign was founded by R.AGE and SP Setia in 2017 after a spate of deadly bullying cases.
It quickly grew into a student-driven movement, with various stakeholders coming on board such as the Education Ministry, Unicef Malaysia, Digi, International Medical University (IMU), Study Hub Asia and more.
Star Media Group group adviser Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai said it was fitting that the campaign managed to get so many committed partners to stand together.
“The campaign has expanded to include workshops in every state in Malaysia (organised by Digi and IMU), because we don’t want this to be just another awareness campaign.
“We want to create real-world change at ground level, and we’re glad we have fantastic partners like SP Setia to achieve that,” said Wong, who was also present at the event.
Over 20 prominent MPs have pledged their support for the movement, including Nurul Izzah Anwar, Khairy Jamaluddin, Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman and Hannah Yeoh.
The campaign is now set to grow beyond Malaysia as well, with organisations in Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and Hong Kong keen to adopt the #StandTogether model.
SP Setia will hold a #StandTogether Kindness Concert on May 4 at Setia City Convention Centre 2 where Malaysians from all walks of life can stand together to call for more kindness in Malaysia.
Admission to the concert is free. To register for the concert, go to bit. ly/stconcert2019.