Kota Kinabalu: Cement Industries (Sabah) Sdn Bhd (CIS) has handed over RM1 million to the Sabah Football Association (Safa) to boost the State’s football development, doubling its contribution from the previous year.
The donation was presented at Safa’s Kota Kinabalu office by CIS Chairman Datuk Japlin Akim to Safa Acting President Datuk Awang Kadin Tang, with Safa Secretary-General Shamsuddin Mohd Shah also present.
Japlin said the contribution, made through the company’s corporate social responsibility programme, was timely given the costs involved in upcoming matches.
“We understand the costs required are very substantial and Safa needs to account for them ahead of the upcoming fixtures, so CIS felt compelled to help,” he said.
He noted that last year’s contribution stood at RM500,000 and hopes the company will be in a position to give even more in the years ahead.
“Last year we contributed half a million and this year, we are blessed with more, so we doubled it to one million. We hope CIS continues to generate income through our sales and, God willing, we can contribute even more next year,” Japlin said.
He also extended congratulations to Safa’s new acting president, expressing confidence in the association’s future direction under new leadership.
Meanwhile, Awang Kadin described the donation as both a financial and moral boost for Sabah football and acknowledged CIS’ strong track record of corporate giving in the State.
“This contribution also reflects CIS’ high commitment to its corporate social responsibility obligations, particularly in the areas of community development, education and sports,” he said, extending his appreciation to the company for its continued support.
CIS is a government-linked company (GLC) operating in Sabah’s construction materials sector.