Latest donation makes it S$16 million in 5 years as the Singapore-based company reaffirms commitment to improving lives.
Singapore, 6 May 2024 – Palm oil giant Musim Mas Group has announced its latest S$5 million donation to selected local charities. This brings the group’s total donations since 2019 to S$16 million.
The commitment underscores Musim Mas’ unwavering dedication to improving the lives of communities in the regions in which it operates.
Musim Mas is no stranger to the philanthropic scene. The Group donated S$1 million in 2019 to the Alzheimer’s Disease Association (ADA), followed by S$5 million in June 2020 during the height of COVID-19, to help five charity organizations affected by the pandemic. In 2023, Musim Mas pledged a second tranche of S$5 million to six charities.
Mr Alvin Lim, Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director of Musim Mas Group said: “Building on our commitment to improving the lives of communities, we are honored to announce this donation. At Musim Mas, we believe in empowering our communities and providing a helping hand to those in need. This donation is a testament to our dedication to creating a more equitable and supportive society for all Singaporeans.”
Musim Mas’ donation will go towards causes including healthcare research, mental health, people with disabilities, the underprivileged, youth, and sports.
Strengthening Social Compact
This is in support of the government’s call to strengthen Singapore’s social compact via the Forward Singapore exercise, ensuring that no one is left behind as the nation fosters an inclusive society for all citizens.
Among the beneficiaries is PCF Sparkletots @ Joo Chiat, which receives a S$300,000 donation to kick-start a bursary initiative that enables children from underprivileged families to attend preschool.
Speaking at the sponsorship launch on 28 April, Mr Edwin Tong, the Minister for Culture, Community, and Youth and Second Minister for Law, applauded Musim Mas for sharing the government’s Forward Singapore vision.
Said Mr Tong, who is also the Member of Parliament Marine Parade GRC (Joo Chiat): “The impact that businesses can have on easing societal issues cannot be underestimated. Musim Mas is a good example of a company that oriented their business practices and vision towards being a force for good for society. More than their generosity, I applaud them for sharing the government’s vision in strengthening our social compact and making strong contributions to the community in the spirit of Forward Singapore.”
Supporting Underprivileged, Youth and Sports
Other recipients include the Majurity Trust (S$1.1 million), the Community Chest (S$1 million), SportCares, the philanthropic arm of Sport Singapore (S$500,000), and the Salvation Army (S$100,000).
The Majurity Trust will use the funds for the Musim Mas Blue Star Fund that supports 10 non-profits and charities that provide mental health support for youths and children. Suicide is the leading cause of death for those aged 10 to 29 in Singapore, and this fund seeks to address this by supporting research, intervention including counselling, educational programs, and public awareness.
The Community Chest donation will go towards a variety of causes that support the underprivileged, at-risk children and youths, and other vulnerable groups.
The funds will also help SportsCares support the underprivileged to take up sports, and for the Salvation Army to fund its community programs.
Supporting Healthcare Research, Mental Health, the Disabled
Musim Mas also donated to Singapore General Hospital (S$1 million), Happee Hearts Movement (S$250,000), National Neuroscience Institute (S$250,000), VIVA Foundation for Children with Cancer (S$250,000), Metta Welfare Association (S$250,000).
Singapore General Hospital will use the donation to establish the first Asian hub for the Global Mental Health Innovation Network (MHIN Asia). This hub will facilitate research, knowledge-sharing, promote the integration of findings into policy and practice, and raise the visibility of member organizations’ mental health initiatives by engaging partners across South and Southeast Asia. Additionally, the funds will support the launch of a regional fellowship program aimed at enhancing health systems and fostering innovations and collaboration among healthcare practitioners and researchers across Asia.
Happee Hearts Movement provides a holistic and integrated clinical service for adults with intellectual disability and their caregivers, and works closely with partners across the health and social sectors to build capability and capacity. Happee Hearts is also embarking on research with established academics to validate its practices and interventions. The donation from Musim Mas will contribute to its work, allowing the movement not only to grow its direct clinical services, but also to scale its work through community building, so that many more can benefit.
National Neuroscience Institute (NNI) will use the funds towards the establishment of a Neuroscience Education Fund. This fund aims to support cross-border fellowship and training programs for healthcare professionals, and faculty development in Neuroscience Education. The fund hopes to provide financial support for overseas fellows to participate in NNI fellowship programs in Neurology, Neurosurgery and Neuroradiology, and healthcare professionals in Singapore participating in global health neuroscience programs.
Viva Foundation for Children with Cancer will use the fund towards a series of projects for medical research, outreach with the VIVA Fiesta, and empowering and supporting children with cancer through the VIVA Family Educational Day and VIVA Life Program.
Metta Welfare Association will use the donation towards supporting its Youth Employment Support programs including Arts@Metta, Metta Café and ECO@Metta to empower Metta School graduates aged 18 and above diagnosed with mild intellectual disability with/without autism through vocational training, facilitating their transition into gainful employment. Metta also strives to equip them with life skills through its comprehensive training and development programs, which promote independence and economic integration into society.
About Musim Mas Holdings
Musim Mas Group is an integrated palm oil company, operating in 13 countries. From plantations to mills, refineries, kernel-crushing plants, oleochemicals, and specialty fats plants, Musim Mas manufactures palm oil products and value-added derivatives. Musim Mas is one of the largest domestic producers and exporters in Indonesia. Inter-Continental Oils and Fats (ICOF), a member of Musim Mas Group, undertakes global marketing activities.
The Group is committed to sustainability and was the first company with significant operations in Indonesia to join the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) in 2004. Committed early to emissions reductions, Musim Mas is a signatory to the Agriculture Sector Roadmap to 1.5 Degrees convened by the Tropical Forest Alliance. The roadmap aims to halt commodity-linked deforestation in line with the 1.5-degree pathway while enhancing the livelihoods of smallholder farmers and supporting the sector’s transformation toward forest-positive land-use management. In January 2024, Musim Mas announced that it will strive to achieve net zero by 2050, aligning with climate science as per the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi). Musim Mas also manages the most extensive independent smallholder programs in Indonesia.
Quotes From the Beneficiaries
The Majurity Trust: Mr Martin Tan, CEO: “We are grateful that the Musim Mas Group, as one of our earliest donors, continues to be an anchor in supporting our work in tackling emerging needs and gaps in our community. Musim Mas Group kickstarted the Bluestar fund that supports charities addressing the challenges of youth mental health, and also supports seniors living with dementia. Musim Mas Group’s generous donation will strengthen much needed resourcing for us to continue to support the needs of charities and non-profits on the ground.”
The Community Chest: Mr Chew Sutat, Chairman: “On behalf of our service users and beneficiaries, we are most grateful for the generous contributions of Musim Mas. The S$1 million donation will go a long way as Community Chest supports over 200 critical service programs and benefits over 93,000 social service users in areas such as adults with disabilities, children with special needs and youths at risk, families in need of assistance, persons with mental health conditions and seniors in need of support. We encourage more corporates to partner us in giving holistically and regularly so we can uplift the lives of Singaporeans in need.”
Sport Singapore: Mr Alan Goh, CEO: “Musim Mas Group’s generous donation to SportCares has activated a dollar-to-dollar matching under the recently expanded One Team Singapore Fund. These funds will allow us to extend our impact, create more opportunities for the communities we serve, and bolster our efforts in helping to change lives through sport. We thank Musim Mas Group for this donation and look forward to a fruitful partnership with them.
The Salvation Army: Dr Bill Foo, Chairman National Advisory Board: “The Salvation Army Singapore, a non-profit charity since its inception in 1935, would like to thank the Musim Mas Group for their generous donation which will be used towards our community programs to help the needy (elderly, youth, children et al) and bring hope to those in need regardless of age, race or religion”.
Singapore General Hospital Associate Professor Tan Hiang Khoon, Deputy CEO, and SingHealth Duke-NUS Global Institute Director: “With deep gratitude for the generous support from the Musim Mas Group, we’re honored to advance health and well-being and improve global health equity in Asia and beyond. Every dollar of their $1 million gift will go towards developing future healthcare leaders through unique fellowship programs which will create a platform for mutual learning and collaboration. The gift will also help establish the first Asian hub for the Mental Health Innovation Network – an initiative that is pivotal in addressing the significant yet often neglected issue of mental health across our region,”
Happee Hearts Movement: Dr Chen Shiling, Founder and Executive Director: “Poor health and unaddressed medical conditions cause pain and suffering to people with intellectual disability and their families. Musim Mas’s generous donation allows us to keep our service highly subsidized and grow our capability-building work, so that it remains affordable to all. We are extremely grateful to Musim Mas for their trust, belief, and support.”
National Neuroscience Institute (NNI): Associate Professor Kevin Tan, Education Director, NNI: “The fund will enable talented doctors and other healthcare professionals to participate in neuroscience fellowships and training programs to improve specialized expertise, knowledge and clinical skills, thereby providing better treatment and clinical care for patients living with neurological conditions such as dementia, Parkinson’s Disease, stroke, brain tumors, muscle, spine, and nerve conditions.”
Viva Foundation for Children with Cancer Mr Vincent Yeo, Chief Executive Officer: “We are truly grateful to Musim Mas Group for their incredibly generous donation to VIVA Foundation for Children with Cancer. Together, we are making a difference and having a profound impact on the lives of children fighting cancer. Whether through donations or volunteering, your contribution reflects the spirit of compassion and solidarity that drives VIVA Foundation’s efforts every day. Let’s unite to improve childhood cancer care and boost survival rates. Together, we can create a brighter future for these children.”
Metta Welfare Association: Ms Felicia Wee, Deputy Executive Director: “In a world striving for inclusivity, addressing the employment needs of youth with special needs is paramount. We emphasize the importance of investing in these youth employment programs as a means of fostering inclusivity, independence, and economic empowerment. Your generous donation is not just a gift; it’s a lifeline for our youth with special needs. Thank you for investing in their potential, empowering them to thrive, and shaping a future of inclusivity and opportunity!”
About the Beneficiaries
About The Majurity Trust
The Majurity Trust is a philanthropic organization that seeks to work with donors and charities to build a thriving and sustainable community for all in Singapore. The trust’s research informs our advice to philanthropists and guides funding to underserved areas. This is so that philanthropists can maximize their social impact per funding dollar, while moving us all closer to a Singapore where all can truly thrive. They bring like-minded people, ideas, and creativity together to impact individual lives and the community. With platforms such as forums, dialogs and exhibitions, they create opportunities for idea creation and collaboration to achieve greater social impact.
About the Community Chest
As the hallmark of care and share, Community Chest has been uniting the community to mobilize resources and raise funds to serve those in need since 1983. Community Chest supports 200 critical programs to meet underserved and critical social needs. As our fundraising and operating costs are covered mainly by Tote Board, 100% of your contributions goes towards empowering the lives of: Adults with disabilities, children with special needs and youth-at-risk, families in need of assistance, persons with mental health conditions, seniors in need of support. For more information about Community Chest, visit www.comchest.gov.sg.
About Sport Singapore’s SportCares
In 2012, SportCares was founded as the philanthropic arm of Sport Singapore, with the mission to empower vulnerable individuals, persons with disabilities, and underserved communities to embrace and harness the benefits of sports. We strongly believe in the transformative power of sport to change lives and are committed to fostering a culture of sports philanthropy among corporates and community partners.
About the Salvation Army
Founded in 1935, The Salvation Army has been meeting the needs of the poor and marginalized in the community regardless of race, language or religion. Our beneficiaries include vulnerable children and youth, frail elderly, migrant workers, ex-offenders, and struggling families and individuals. As an Institute of Public Character, it has over 11,000 beneficiaries each year.
About Singapore General Hospital (SGH)
Singapore General Hospital, established in 1821, is the largest tertiary hospital in Singapore and ranked among the world’s best. It provides the most comprehensive patient-centered care with over 50 clinical specialties on its campus. As an Academic Medical Centre, it takes pride in training healthcare professionals and conducting cutting-edge research to meet the evolving needs of the nation as well as the region. Driven by a strong sense of purpose, SGH is committed to giving its best to heal and bring hope, as it has for over 200 years. For more information, please visit www.sgh.com.sg
About Happee Hearts Movement
Happee Hearts Movement was founded by Dr. Chen Shiling to advocate for the healthcare needs of a very invisible and forgotten group of people amongst us – People with intellectual disabilities. It is the first and only non-profit organization in Singapore that focuses on addressing the complex health needs of this vulnerable population and their ageing caregivers. Our goal is to reduce the barriers to positive health and well-being for this population by providing a health service that is accessible and appropriate for people with intellectual disability. In addition, we aim to increase the capability of Singapore’s health and social service sectors to serve this population.
About National Neuroscience Institute (NNI)
The National Neuroscience Institute (NNI) is the national specialist and regional centre for conditions of the brain, spine, nerve and muscles, including stroke, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, brain tumor and brain injuries. Committed to improving patients’ lives, NNI aims to shape neuroscience for a better tomorrow through innovation, research and education.
NNI operates out of six hospitals in Singapore – Changi General Hospital (CGH), KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH), Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH), Sengkang General Hospital (SKH), Singapore General Hospital (SGH) and Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH).
NNI is a member of the Singapore Health Services (SingHealth) – a public healthcare cluster which manages four hospitals, five specialty centres, eight polyclinics and a network of community hospitals – and the SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre. For more information, visit www.nni.com.sg.
About VIVA Foundation for Children with Cancer
VIVA Foundation for Children with Cancer (VIVA) is a Singapore-based charity which focuses on life-saving leading-edge research, medical care and education. They are racing against time to develop better treatments, faster cures and to make newer discoveries. They believe these would all translate into better survival rates with less late-effects for affected children.
VIVA works very closely with the world-renowned St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (Tennessee, USA), National University Hospital (Singapore), KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (Singapore), VIVA China Children’s Cancer Foundation and Viva Indonesia Anak Kanker (VIVA Indonesia) with the ambitious aim of translating the high cure rates achieved by our partners into Singapore and the wider Asia region. VIVA’s work to save the lives of as many children as possible is supported by a small but growing group of dedicated partners, fantastic volunteers and kind-hearted donors.
About Metta Welfare Association
Registered in 1994 as a society, Metta Welfare Association (Metta) remains steadfast and true to our mission to serve, give comfort and shine the light of hope to those in need. We care for over 1,400 clients across our 10 welfare centers island-wide. From the young to the elderly, the infirm to the terminally ill, our clients come from widely diverse backgrounds, age groups and needs.
