Bank Islam Integrated Annual Report 2020

FOSTERING GREEN ENVIRONMENT Under our AMAL Untuk Alam (AMAL for the Green Environment) banner, the year saw us bringing awareness on the benefits of sustainable farming. Focused on producing food in the urban environment, we collaborated with Lembaga Pertubuhan Peladang (LPP) and Jabatan Penjara Malaysia (Prison Department of Malaysia) to implement the Hydroponic Vegetable Farming Project. Leveraging on the knowledge of personnel from LPP, the project was planned in a huge space provided by Pusat Koreksional Jasin, Penjara Melaka. With ĄÃѻѸӗѳѳѳ ƺɁȶɽɨȈƹʍɽȈɁȶ ƹʰ 9ƃȶȟ ɰȢƃȴӗ ¸ĀĀ ɥɨɁʤȈǁǉǁ ɽȃǉ know-how including farming techniques and seeds for the ɥȢƃȶɽȈȶǼ Ɂǹ ȴɁɨǉ ɽȃƃȶ ѴӗѺѳѳ Ȣǉƃǹʰ ʤǉǼǉɽƃƹȢǉɰ ʥȈɽȃ ƃ ȃƃɨʤǉɰɽȈȶǼ ƺʰƺȢǉ Ɂǹ ѷѳ ǁƃʰɰӝ ěȃȈɰ ɥɨɁȚǉƺɽ ƺɁȶɽɨȈƹʍɽǉǁ ʤƃɨȈɁʍɰ ɽʰɥǉɰ Ɂǹ vegetables and is independently managed by the prison inmates. The Hydroponics method was chosen due to various advantages including its environmental benefits. For one thing, the method requires no soil, which allows for optimised land usage. It also requires less space and less water in comparison to conventional farming methods. Additionally, the vegetables planted this way grow faster with stronger yield, and as no soil is used, the plants are less infested with pests and diseases, which are common when planted in soil. As such, the method does not require the usage of herbicides or pesticides, which further contribute to the safe food consumption. With the implementation of this project, we are conscious of the potential benefits of sustainable urban farming, especially in these tough times where a number of people in the urban areas are struggling with income loss and reduction. Urban farming promotes multi-dimensional benefits, which include food security for the low-income groups as well as training and employment opportunities for the disadvantaged and underprivileged communities. Additionally urban farming offers enhanced access to fresh fruit and vegetables, and promotes positive environmental impact through less transport, packaging and storage. We are hopeful that the success of this project will bring more awareness on the role of urban farming in contributing to the food security of communities, society’s resiliency as well as in meeting the world’s environmental concerns. As to date, AMAL’s hydroponics project has yielded about ѶѸѳȟǼ Ɂǹ ʤǉǼǉɽƃƹȢǉ ȃƃɨʤǉɰɽ ƃȶǁ ƹǉȶǉǹȈɽɽǉǁ ƃƹɁʍɽ ѹѳѳ ɥɨȈɰɁȶ Ȉȶȴƃɽǉɰ ƃȶǁ ѷѳ ǹƃȴȈȢȈǉɰ Ȉȶ ɽȃǉ ƃɨǉƃӝ CONTRIBUTING TO WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT Working hand in hand with Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia (AIM), Ã ¸ ǁɁȶƃɽǉǁ ȴɁɨǉ ɽȃƃȶ ĄÃѼѹӗѳѳѳ ʥɁɨɽȃ Ɂǹ ƺɁȶɽɨȈƹʍɽȈɁȶɰ ɽɁ ȃǉȢɥ ѷѼ ɰȴƃȢȢ ƹʍɰȈȶǉɰɰ Ɂʥȶǉɨɰӗ ƺɁȶɰȈɰɽȈȶǼ Ɂǹ ʥɁȴǉȶ and single mothers from the districts of Kluang, Segamat, Batu Pahat and Muar in Johor. The contributions included essential items, which are needed for these women to conduct their businesses effectively, which included setting-up of night markets, food stalls and sewing shops. Out latest programme with AIM is in line with the Bank’s commitment ɽɁ ĩÇ ČA{ ѹ ӵ {ǉȶǁǉɨ KɧʍƃȢȈɽʰӗ ʥȃȈȢǉ ȃǉȢɥȈȶǼ ɽɁ ǹɁɰɽǉɨ Ǽɨǉƃɽǉɨ prosperity among the marginalised communities. AIM has long been known as a social organisation that provides help to the micro and small business owners. We ȃƃʤǉ ƹǉǉȶ ƺɁȢȢƃƹɁɨƃɽȈȶǼ ʥȈɽȃ Ã ɰȈȶƺǉ ѵѳѴѺ ʥȃǉȶ ʥǉ ǹȈɨɰɽ ƺɁȶɽɨȈƹʍɽǉǁ ȴɁɨǉ ɽȃƃȶ ĄÃѼѵӗѳѳѳ ʥɁɨɽȃ Ɂǹ ƹʍɰȈȶǉɰɰ Ȉɽǉȴɰ ɽɁ Ѷѹ ʥɁȴǉȶ ǉȶɽɨǉɥɨǉȶǉʍɨɰ ǹɨɁȴ ěǉɨǉȶǼǼƃȶʍӝ ȶ ѵѳѴѼӗ ʥǉ ȃƃʤǉ ȃǉȢɥǉǁ Ѹѹ ƹʍɰȈȶǉɰɰ Ɂʥȶǉɨɰ Ȉȶ ¶ǉǁƃȃ ʥȈɽȃ ƺɁȶɽɨȈƹʍɽȈɁȶɰ Ɂǹ ȴɁɨǉ ɽȃƃȶ ĄÃѹѼӗѳѳѳӝ In addition to our flagship programmes, our priority during the year has also been to extend monetary and in-kind assistance to the frontliners and communities, who are at higher risk and most affected by the pandemic. For wider reach, we forged partnerships with various stakeholders, including government agencies and not-for-profit organisations. 94 For The Greater Good Management Di scuss ion and Anal ys i s Leader ship INVESTING TOWARDS A BETTER SOCIETY