On Route 57

Collin Swee and Syed Sadiq Albar are spearheading an ambitious movement. Lily Ong writes on how these two men sparked the motion for change with one simple idea

In my experience as a chronicler of stories, I have heard the term ‘a calling’ used by many accomplished individuals. The co-founders of Projek57 used this expression to illustrate how they were compelled to start up a social enterprise to give back to the community while championing nationalism at the same time. Indeed, while listening to the tale of Collin Swee and Syed Sadiq Albar, even I have to agree that these two men were predestined to follow this path. “It all started when I was introduced to the concept of social entrepreneurship last year at the Entrepreneurs’ Organisation (EO). At that time, the country went through a political and economical upheaval, and during a management retreat with our business team, Syed and I were shocked and saddened when we learnt that our most promising talents— the future of our nation—were all planning to leave the country,” shares Swee about the series of fortuitous events that led to the establishment of Projek57. The two friends brainstormed for ideas on how to tackle this issue. They both settled on a straightforward one: using a T-shirt to spread their movement of hope, while the sales of this T-shirt will contribute towards impactful programmes that will help change the future of our country. Why a T-shirt? “On the streets, you see people wearing ‘I Love NY’ shirts or other merchandise that they bought during holidays overseas. Collin and I agreed a good start would be to create a nationalistic shirt that Malaysians can identify with and be proud to wear,” Syed answers. They eventually settled on the iconic image of our nation’s first prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman, during the declaration of our nation’s independence on August 31, 1957, for the shirts. “It is a powerful image. Any Malaysian regardless of age will think of one word when they look at it— Merdeka! That’s what we want to promote, liberty through four fundamental values that our nation was founded on: progressiveness, unity, tolerance and diversity,” says Syed. Projek57 targets to sell one million shirts, from which 40 per cent of its profits are then pledged to help underprivileged youths and single mothers through charitable partners like Mykasih and Women of Will. “We might not know the complexities of being a single mum or an underprivileged youth in Malaysia. But we know that the children from these backgrounds are our hope for the future. We want to help provide the means and resources that they need to get by,” Swee explains. The shirts are sold in Projek57’s store in Atria shopping mall, Damansara Jaya—a retail store manned by underprivileged indigenous youths that are also beneficiaries from the sales of the T-shirts. “We give them training on how to sell and work in a retail environment. We want them to feel included as a Malaysian, and not be marginalised or left behind. Through sharing our mission and our values, they not only grow in confidence so they can work and earn a good living, but they also identify with the country they live in,” adds Syed. Both Swee and Syed acknowledge that they are often faced with cynics who question their work, yet they are determined and refuse to be brought down. “Change is never easy. Challenge is good for us. Do we fully understand the complexities of what we fight for? No, we don’t. But it is about something bigger than ourselves. We chose to shine a light on what we believe in, instead of complaining. Our hands will always be ready to help and that’s what we will keep doing,” states Syed, wrapping up on an uplifting note.

“We chose to shine a light on what we believe in, instead of complaining”