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About Yayasan Sime Darby

Yayasan Sime Darby (YSD) is the philanthropic arm of Sime Darby Berhad, SD Guthrie Berhad, and Sime Darby Property Berhad.

With a legacy spanning over four decades, we are dedicated to enhancing lives and delivering sustainable value through our five pillars of Education, Environment, Community & Health, Sports, and Arts & Culture. 

Over the years, we have expanded our wings from offering scholarships to outstanding and deserving individuals to funding impactful conservation, outreach, and development programmes.

Our Projects & Initiatives

Year in Review

This year has been a significant journey of growth and learning for YSD. While we’ve made strides in sustainability, supported various communities, and worked towards inclusivity, the experience also enabled us to reflect on some of our key milestones and efforts, empowering us to strive to create meaningful impact.

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Chairman’s Foreword

Rome was not built in a day, neither do trees bear fruit overnight. Our achievements are the result of years of dedication, collaboration, and shared vision, which would not have been possible without the invaluable contributions of my fellow YSD Governing Council members and the hardworking YSD operations team, who have worked tirelessly to ensure we achieve the best outcomes.

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CEO’s Message

Our work at YSD has always been rooted in a holistic approach. We recognise that it is not about addressing issues in isolation, but understanding the complex web of social, cultural, and economic factors that influence and are influenced by our actions.

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Driving Vision, Leading Change

At YSD, the commitment of our Council and team to transparency and impact guides our efforts and progress. Each member’s contributions are key to advancing our mission to build a more resilient and inclusive world, positioning YSD at the forefront of responsible practices.

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Employee Volunteer Programmes

In any endeavour, it is the people who bring success to life and turn visions into reality. 

YSD extends our deepest gratitude to our dedicated volunteers nationwide for their invaluable contributions to key CSR initiatives this past year. From facilitating immediate flood relief operations and supporting back-to-school programmes, to lending their time and efforts in beach cleanups and tree-planting initiatives, 6,971 volunteers have contributed 60,252 hours of service across 389 initiatives – building a stronger force for community and nation.

Thank you for your staunch support and the countless lives you have touched through your generosity!

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Feature Stories

Central Forest Spine

Malaysia’s Lifeline for Biodiversity and Water Security

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YSD Arts Festival 2023

Bringing People Together Through the Arts

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YSD Track Series

Over a Decade and Counting: Empowering the Malaysian Track Cycling Scene

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Our Commitment to the 

As a leading corporate foundation, YSD’s efforts are curated to address key global challenges through a holistic approach to sustainable development. Across our five pillars, our strategies prioritise support for initiatives in line with national and international policies for a better Earth and society. We support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) charted by the United Nations as part of the international community’s action plan for global prosperity and well-being. Relevant SDGs are highlighted throughout this report to reflect our aspirations and measure progress.

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Financial Highlights

Our financial performance this year reflects our commitment to responsible stewardship and sustainable impact. In this section, we present key figures and financial achievements that have enabled us to continue driving positive change. These highlights underscore the strength of our partnerships, prudent financial management, and dedication to ensuring long-term value for the communities we serve.

View Full Audit Report 2024
Community & Health

RM12,137,391

Education

RM26,663,989

Environment

RM13,290,972

Sports

RM2,921,883

Arts & Culture

RM3,591,542

Community & Health

RM12,137,391

Education

RM26,663,989

Environment

RM13,290,972

Sports

RM2,921,883

Arts & Culture

RM3,591,542

Yayasan Sime Darby 
198201006191 (85945-W)

Block C,
Level 2, SD Guthrie Tower,
No 2, Jalan PJU 1A/7,
Ara Damansara,
47301, Petaling Jaya,
Selangor, Malaysia

Tel: +6 03 7623 7111
Fax: +6 03 7623 7123

Chairman's Foreword

Our theme for this year’s annual report, “From Then to Next,” is a reflection of Yayasan Sime Darby’s journey since 1982. For more than four decades, we have steadfastly supported a diverse array of causes – from sports and education to community development, the arts, and environmental conservation.

I am proud of how our initiatives have continually expanded both in scope and impact over the years, and I am even more proud to share that to date, our various initiatives have helped to support more than 6,500 women and girl athletes. 2024 has been a landmark year for sports, highlighted by the Paris Olympics. I must applaud our athletes’ achievements, especially our national track cycling team, whom we have nurtured and supported over three Olympic cycles – London 2012, Rio 2016, and Tokyo 2020. We began our commitment to Malaysian track cycling in 2010, aiming to elevate elite cyclists like Dato’ Azizulhasni Awang and Fatehah Mustafa. Initially scouted at the grassroots level, we supported Azizul and Fatehah through the programmes to secure their Olympic participation towards the first track cycling medal for our beloved nation. Through the YSD STAR Scholarship programme, we also supported Azizul with his degree in Melbourne. Azizul’s journey to Olympic medals – a bronze in Rio and a silver in Tokyo – has significantly raised Malaysia’s global profile in track cycling.

Building on this success, the YSD Track Series, launched in 2022 in collaboration with the Foundation for Malaysian Sporting Excellence (SportExcel), has become a central initiative for YSD. Developed to sustain and broaden the base of our national cycling talents, it is our strategic response to the need for a structured development programme in the sport, for their exposure in local competitions. Since its launch, the YSD Track Series has been providing young cyclists from across Malaysia the opportunity to race and refine their skills, and at times competing against international cyclists. The Malaysian National velodrome in Nilai, now a bustling hub of activity, is helping to put Malaysia on the map as a prime destination for international cycling events.

Our collaboration with the Malaysian Ladies Golf Association (MALGA) marks a strategic shift and expansion of our support for women’s golf, building on our previous involvement from 2010 to 2017 with the Sime Darby LPGA. This pivot, through the YSD-MALGA Golf for Girls Programme, has already seen significant achievements, including Ng Jing Xuen’s gold medal at the 32nd SEA Games and Mirabel Ting Ern Hui’s ascent to 17th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, elevating 16 young athletes in total to new heights of performance and opportunity.

The role of education in sports cannot be overstated. The YSD Star Scholarship awarded to Aaliyah Yoong, Malaysia’s number 1 waterski athlete and an up-and-rising star in the sport internationally, exemplifies how academic dedication complements athletic training. Currently in her fourth semester at Florida Southern College studying Psychology, she continues to make us proud with her outstanding academic achievements each semester. Both Azizul’s and Aaliyah’s success reflects our commitment to supporting our athletes’ educational and professional ambitions, as I am sure that their achievements have inspired many to dream big and work hard both on and off the field.

At YSD, we support young talents as athletes as well as future leaders. Take Fatehah, who was part of the first batch of cyclists to qualify at the London Olympics, and the first woman track cyclist from Malaysia to do so. While she no longer competes, Fatehah is still actively involved in coaching and helping to develop the sport to new heights, passing on her invaluable knowledge and expertise to a new generation of female cyclists.

There is still a lot of work to do to promote and empower women in sports, which is a key focus area under our Sports pillar. The inaugural YSD Women & Girls in Sports Forum, held in February, was envisioned as a platform to elevate the conversation about gender equality in sports and inspire future generations of female athletes, and I am pleased that we have created a meaningful space for dialogue, learning, and advocacy. By providing a platform for these voices that have historically

been marginalised, I hope to foster inclusive opportunities and advocate for greater support and representation for women and girls in sports.

In the realms of football and cricket, we continue to maintain a strong focus on grassroots development, with a particular emphasis on programmes for girls. I have always believed that investing in the development of girls is incredibly rewarding. In my experience, they demonstrate remarkable determination and discipline, and with the right support, they have the potential to achieve outstanding success, excel in competitions, and bring home more victories.

Since 2020, our collaboration with the Malaysian Cricket Association has seen our elite female cricket athletes breaking barriers, with the women’s national cricket team successfully qualifying for the ACC Asia Cup 2022 in Bangladesh. This is an extraordinary achievement: being able to stand alongside giants in the sport, i.e. the Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, and Bangladeshi teams.

YSD’s support has also led to the creation of the Sime Darby Football Club’s first all-girls football development programme, to encourage more girls to participate in the sport and ensure a safe environment for them to play through the hiring of female coaches and a female programme coordinator.

In highlighting all that YSD has contributed to in sports, I am not forgetting the incredible work that our team – alongside our partners, stakeholders, and everyone who has supported our initiatives over the years – has put into YSD’s other pillars. Only with strategic collaborations are we able to enhance lives and deliver sustainable value.

Of course, this would not have been possible without the support of our partners and stakeholders Sime Darby Berhad, SD Guthrie Berhad, and Sime Darby Property Berhad. Our commitment to ensuring sustainable and positive impact is thanks to the generous contributions from these three donors, for which we are profoundly grateful. Beyond their financial donations, we are encouraged by the passionate involvement of these companies in the causes we champion, including active participation in on-ground activities. I am glad that while our initiatives have evolved, our core mission has remained the same—and I hope our partners will continue to stand by our side as we strive to do more for the communities around us.

Rome was not built in a day, neither do trees bear fruit overnight. Our achievements are the result of years of dedication, collaboration, and shared vision, which would not have been possible without the invaluable contributions of my fellow YSD Governing Council members and the hardworking YSD operations team, who have worked tirelessly to ensure we achieve the best outcomes.

Even as we celebrate the successes of our initiatives from then until now, I think that there is still much to be done. As we look to the future, I am confident that together, we can advance our efforts in building inclusive, sustainable communities and continue making a meaningful difference in society, now and beyond.

Y.A.M. Tunku Tan Sri Imran Ibni Almarhum Tuanku Ja'afar

Chairman, Yayasan Sime Darby

CEO's Messages

I am truly proud of the great strides we have made at Yayasan Sime Darby, and this year is no exception. Our theme for this year’s Annual Report, “From Then to Next” encapsulates our journey spanning decades of unwavering commitment to sustainability, conservation, and the empowerment of communities—underscoring not just the progress we have achieved, but also the enduring impact of our efforts over the years.

Our work at YSD has always been rooted in a holistic approach. We recognise that it is not about addressing issues in isolation, but understanding the complex web of social, cultural, and economic factors that influence and are influenced by our actions. This is why we strive for integration across all our five pillars, and why strategic partnerships lie at the heart of many of our initiatives.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to our donor companies – SD Guthrie Berhad, Sime Darby Berhad, and Sime Darby Property Berhad – for their generous support and tireless involvement across our programmes. Their support powers initiatives like the SD Guthrie-YSD Plant-A-Tree (SDGPAT) programme, which has greened Jentar and Kamuning Estates and beyond since 2008. Through this collaboration, we have been able to plant nearly 550,000 trees, build an arboretum of endemic and endangered, rare, and threatened species, and establish forest patches that increase ecosystem connectivity to mitigate species extinction. We are currently working together with SD Guthrie for Phase 4 of this initiative at Damai Estate, Sarawak, adjacent to the 11,026-hectare Bukit Tiban National Park – home to Borneo’s unique wildlife, including several endangered hornbill species.

Support from these donor companies also enables critical employee volunteer programmes at YSD. A big thank you to our volunteers from SD Guthrie, Sime Darby, and Sime Darby Property who have dedicated their time and efforts through the YSD Huluran Kasih and YSD Eco Citizen programmes. Since 2018, the Huluran Kasih programme has seen 6,185 volunteers log 55,883 hours towards social initiatives, while the Eco Citizen programme, introduced in 2022, has mobilised 786 volunteers who have dedicated 4,369 hours across 11 environmental initiatives.

The revived SD Games in 2023 has reenergised our corporate community by bringing together 1,321 employees, including a strong showing of 465 women, in events like football, badminton, running, and futsal in the last financial year. We are now going steady with three sporting events planned annually. We hope to accomplish more with these games than just boost their morale; we want to give them the tools they need to contribute more effectively to society and expand the range of roles they can play as volunteers.

A cornerstone of our work has been our collaborative efforts in conservation. The plight of the critically endangered Malayan Tiger, a species that has long symbolised the challenges facing our natural world, has led to the creation of the Tiger Coalition supported by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES). Together with our project partners, the Perak State Parks Corporation (PSPC) and RIMAU, as well as corporate partners, including Yayasan Hasanah among others, YSD has ramped up efforts to protect these majestic creatures. With increased patrols across the Central Forest Spine (CFS), we have been successful at reducing poaching and illegal wildlife activity in the region.

A significant milestone in our journey was the dialogue session with NRES Minister, YB Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, in August 2023, where we discussed the urgent need for coordinated strategies to ensure effective conservation efforts without overlap. The YSD WildRoots docuseries was introduced during this year’s YSD World Environment Day in response to this conversation. Launched with the support from the Ministry by YB Minister, the docuseries plays a crucial role in our environmental education efforts, raising awareness about biodiversity protection in CFS. I am certain of the ability of environmental education to extend far beyond immediate impact, safeguarding our natural heritage for future generations. With every step we take alongside our partners and communities, we are protecting this vital piece of our natural history.

The reforestation and rehabilitation of the Northern Ulu Segama Forest Reserve, now known as the Bukit Piton Forest Reserve, is another example of our long-term conservation efforts having borne fruit. This 5,400-hectare area represents more than a decade of hard work and dedication between YSD and our partners, including the Sabah Forestry Department, SD Guthrie Berhad, the Sabah Wildlife Department, Sabah Foundation, and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

The Ulu Segama forests are home to arguably the largest population of orangutans in Sabah, some 400 individuals, or 30% of Sabah’s estimated orangutan population. From 2008 to 2019, with YSD coming on board in 2010 with a total investment of RM25 million over 10 years, the reforestation project successfully restored the orangutan habitat within the Bukit Piton Forest Reserve area—culminating in the reclassification of the forest from a Class 2 commercial reserve to a Class 1 Protected Forest Reserve.

In 2018, we embarked on a new chapter of forest reforestation initiative together with the Tropical Rainforest Conservation and Research Centre (TRCRC). This project, complementary to our earlier work in Northern Ulu Segama, was located within the same forest management area. Our restoration work in this phase focused on planting wild fruits, as well as fast-growing and pioneer species to rehabilitate the degraded land. The lessons learned from the Ulu Segama project have been invaluable in guiding our approach, particularly in the concept of high-density and diversity planting. This methodology, while technically challenging, has proven effective in reducing maintenance through increased competition among species. By mimicking the natural processes of forest regeneration, we have been able to create a self-sustaining system that not only supports wildlife but also enhances ecosystem resilience.

As we move into expanding our collaboration with TRCRC in CFS, our focus has shifted to environmental education. We believe that the data collected from our restoration efforts should serve a greater purpose, one that extends beyond the forest. Through talks, roadshows, and initiatives like the Eco-Schools programme, we aim to inspire the next generation to become proactive environmental stewards. In collaboration with Green Growth Asia Foundation, the Eco-Schools empowers students to take active roles in their environment starting from the classroom, extending to the school, and eventually to the community. The Kedah and Melaka Eco-Schools programme we supported has been particularly successful, involving 1,798 students and 437 teachers in seminars and workshops, and providing schools with the environmental education modules and infrastructure to support project-based learning. Through these efforts, we aim to plant the seeds of awareness, responsibility, and hope in young minds, who will carry forward the torch of conservation with knowledge, skills, and a passion for environmental stewardship.

Our conservation and education efforts aside, accessibility in the arts is another area in which I am excited to be a part of over the years. The biennial Yayasan Sime Darby Arts Festival (YSDAF) was born out of a desire to make the arts accessible to all, especially the underprivileged and marginalised.

In many societies, the arts can be a powerful tool for initiating social change. One of YSDAF’s most inspiring aspects is how it uses the arts to narrate the stories of those who are often unheard.

Furthermore, YSDAF has stayed true to its commitment of making the arts accessible to everyone, and this includes people with disabilities. We truly believe that everyone should have the opportunity to experience the transformative power of the arts, and this is reflected not just in our diverse range of programmes, but also in how we cater to visitors at the festival. I am proud to say that YSDAF is the first and only arts festival in Malaysia that requires our crew and volunteers to undergo Disability Equality Training and Disability Related Services Training, which includes wheelchair handling, sign language, and blind assistance.

In using arts to narrate the stories of the marginalised, the Parastoo Theatre, provides a platform to raise awareness on the social, economic, and mental health issues faced by refugees. The power of storytelling lies in its ability to humanise issues, bringing abstract concepts to life and building empathy among audiences. By giving a voice to the marginalised, we are not just sharing their stories but empowering them to reclaim their narratives and take control of their destinies.

YSD also extends our support to educational programmes that bring arts into schools. In partnership with Kakiseni, we launched the Kelab YSD-Kakiseni Junior 2023 programme, filling a critical educational gap by providing access to arts for students, especially from B40 households. While prioritising students from marginalized backgrounds, this programme extends its benefits to all participants, helping to cultivate holistic learning experiences that go beyond the conventional curriculum through creative expression, students develop key skills such as emotional intelligence, critical thinking, problem-solving, and adaptability—skills. The programme has successfully empowered 500 students to grow as well-rounded individuals, better prepared for future challenges. In addition,19 performing and visual artists are introduced and inducted into 16 schools to kickstart a stronger collaboration between schools and the creative industry. Our collaboration with KL Shakespeare Players (KLSP) since 2020 also aims to counter the scarcity of arts opportunities in suburban and rural areas. KLSP’s storytelling programme focuses on enhancing English proficiency and critical thinking while bridging the cultural gap by introducing students to both local and global folklore. Their online initiative has grown exponentially, reaching students in remote areas more effectively through the Internet. These efforts clearly establish the arts as a crucial component of Malaysia’s educational framework, equipping our youth to thrive culturally and personally.

As we look ahead, my optimism for YSD’s future is buoyed by our tangible accomplishments across all our pillars. The strides we have made reflect the collective efforts and shared vision of our partners, stakeholders, and team members. My heartfelt thanks go to every one of you, recognising that our continued success relies on your steadfast support. Together with the team at YSD, we will keep building on this foundation, striving for the best of outcomes and impacts for our community and the environment.

Dr Hjh Yatela Zainal Abidin

Chief Operating Officer, Yayasan Sime Darby

“From Then, To Next” embodies YSD’s journey of growth and progress.

Change is the only constant – and just as a river adapts its course to the terrain, YSD has continuously evolved to meet the shifting needs of our communities and the environment. Our 2024 annual report, themed “From Then to Next”, reflects not only on our past achievements but also on the future we are actively shaping—whether through environmental conservation, expanding educational opportunities, championing the arts, or promoting gender equality in sports. This year marks a milestone as we present our first fully digital annual report, advancing our commitment to sustainability by reducing our environmental footprint.

Navigating this journey with us through the years are our project partners, along with donors Sime Darby Berhad, SD Guthrie Berhad, and Sime Darby Property Berhad, whose staunch support have enabled us to amplify our impact and drive meaningful change where it matters. With strong foundations in place, we confidently step forward into new frontiers while learning from our partners as we pave the way for greater possibilities tomorrow.