PUTRAJAYA, 5 September 2024 – Her Royal Highness The Tengku Ampuan of Pahang, Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah binti AlMarhum Sultan Iskandar Al-Haj said in her speech that, the communication and volunteerism aspects are the important factors from the perspective of corporate social responsibility.

She said, by looking at all the things which she had done, more importantly in providing for the people, it serves as a higher form of volunteerism in giving back to the people.

      

Her Royal Highness The Tengku Ampuan of Pahang also said, as a member of the Royal family, she and her family would surely not be excluded in contributing towards the effort in empowering the community, in aspects such as the wellbeing of families, health, education, women and child empowerment among others.

"I get things done. I completed the tasks out of sincerity and gave back to society. I sat on the floor with the people just to understand what they had gone through and how I can help them for the betterment of all.

"I have to support the people and I can’t do it alone. I am thankful to all of the people for giving me the opportunity to share all the things in life, which had led me to help in whatever way I can," she added.

The Tengku Ampuan of Pahang said that in her keynote speech entitled Royal Social Responsibility: Insights and Inspirations at the 11th International Conference on Social Responsibility, Ethics and Sustainable Business (ICSR) 2024, held at Zenith Hotel, here today.

The Tengku Ampuan of Pahang, together with The Sultan of Pahang are both well-known in holding various social responsibility programmes, and being royal patrons to various organisations, including being the founder of the Tunku Azizah Fertility Foundation (TAFF).

The Tengku Ampuan of Pahang has a long history of involvement in social initiatives. Her background in social work and her deep-rooted compassion for the less fortunate has driven her to champion various causes and programmes.

The Tengku Ampuan of Pahang is also the patron of numerous charitable organizations and foundations that focus on social welfare and has an outstanding reputation of being very hands-on with the direction, mission, vision and its impact on the people.

 

Also present at the prestigious conference were Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Datuk Ts. Mustapha Sakmud; Deputy Vice-Chancellor Industry and Community Network, representing the Vice-Chancellor of USM, Professor Dr. Azlan Amran; Dean, School of Communication, Associate Professor Dr. Bahiyah Omar; Chairperson of ICSR 2024, Professor Dr. Jamilah Ahmad; distinguished keynote speakers and participants across the globe.

ICSR 2024, which entered its 11th edition since being established back in 2012 at the Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania, marks a significant milestone as it is the first time the conference is held outside Europe.

Hosted by the USM School of Communication, ICSR 2024 continues its tradition of fostering global discourse, with a special focus on current issues of the time, particularly from environmental degradation and climate change to social inequities and economic instability.

With the theme Local Solutions to Global Challenges: Communicating Sustainability Initiative to Diverse Communities, ICSR highlights the urgent need for communication strategies that effectively engage local communities while addressing the global sustainability challenges that the world face.

Meanwhile, Azlan said that in an era where global challenges such as climate change, social inequalities and economic instability are increasingly impacting communities worldwide, it is essential that everyone engage effectively with diverse communities and industries to address these issues.

“Thus, ICSR is the most significant platform for such engagement, fostering dialogue and collaboration across disciplines and borders, focusing more on the intersection of social responsibility, ethics and sustainability in alignment with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG),” he said.

Apart from that, Azlan also stressed on the pressing issues especially on the role of technology and digital transformation in achieving sustainable development.

According to him, while technology offers unprecedented opportunities to enhance efficiency, reduce waste and promote sustainable practices, it also poses significant challenges, particularly in term of digital equity and the environment impact of technology production and disposal.

“At USM, we are keenly aware of these dual aspects of technology. Our research on Green Technology and Sustainable Digital Solutions is aimed at minimizing the environmental footprint of technological advancements while maximizing their benefits to society,” he added.

Text: Marziana Mohamed Alias/Photo: Mohd Fairus Md Isa & Shamil Shazwan Abu Bakar