Kuala Lumpur: The International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) started its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) rolling with a lifeline of food packs to more than 300 asnaf (tithe recipients) and the underprivileged in the Chow Kit vicinity here today, with even lecturers donning aprons to cook.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the CSR programme was made possible through the Centre for Languages and Pre-University Academic Development (CELPAD) and the Alumni Relations Division, in collaboration with Warung Makan Sahabat, a community centre that provides free food to the homeless in the city.

The programme’s advisor, Abdullah Bukhari Abdul Rahim, stated that RM10,400 was donated to Warung Makan Sahabat from public donations that had been collected for more than a month at the university. Part of the donations were allocated for the distribution of food packs with the aid of 15 university staff and language lecturers who came together to prepare the meals. The remaining funds will be managed by Warung Makan Sahabat for the continued distribution of food packs for a week.

Abdullah Bukhari, who also serves as the deputy director of Student Development and Community Engagement at CELPAD, highlighted that the CSR initiative allows the university to contribute to the welfare of communities outside the campus. He emphasized the significance of staff stepping out of their comfort zones to understand the challenges faced by those less fortunate.

Meanwhile, Warung Makan Sahabat manager Mohd Khairul Azman Md Daud mentioned that approximately RM6,000 has been allocated to provide food packs for the week. He expressed hope that more organizations, including NGOs, corporate entities, and the private sector, will seize opportunities to assist the underprivileged.