For Immediate Release 12 January 2015 KLK PLEDGES RM1 MILLION CASH AID TO FLOOD-AFFECTED FAMILIES Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad ( KLK ) today announced a pledge of over RM1,000,000 of direct cash aid for its employees and the local community living in Kelantan who were affected by what were the worst floods to hit the region in decades. This decision was made by the KLK Board following visits by its Chief Executive Officer, Tan Sri Lee Oi Hian to the Group s affected estates and the surrounding areas along the Kelantan River and its tributaries in Kuala Krai and Tanah Merah last week Having witnessed first-hand, the scale of the destruction wrought by the floods in Kelantan, I am saddened to see the plight of our people. I am, however, extremely thankful that all of KLK s employees and their families totalling 4,000, have survived the floods. I hope that this assistance will help tide our people over till things normalise. KLK will continue to take care of our employees as we always have and provide other forms of assistance to these victims until they are back on their feet, said Tan Sri Lee. The disbursement of the cash aid to approximately 520 households who had sustained losses is expected to be completed within the next few days. KLK has also continued to pay wages to its 1,700 employees despite work having come to a stand-still during the floods. KLK had earlier provided immediate relief in the form of food supplies, generators to produce electricity, clean drinking water and clothing to the flood victims. To prepare for the start of school, arrangements are also being made to provide school starter kits to 700 school-going children in the affected areas. In addition, many of the Group s employees had volunteered their time to help pack the supplies, and had also donated more than 5 tonnes of clothes and other essential items. The flooding at KLK s operating centres in Kelantan was a very difficult time, especially for places where electricity, telecommunications and food supply had been cut off as there was no access either by air, land and water, leading to aid not reaching the victims. When the rains started in the middle of December last year, KLK s estate managers in Kelantan had already swung into action by getting ready emergency supplies in preparation for the annual floods. However, nothing could have prepared them for the magnitude of the flooding this time around. Despite a prompt crisis response, the Group s estates and infrastructure have sustained severe damage, which early estimations put at approximately RM5 million. Over in Perak which has also witnessed severe flooding in several districts such as Kuala Kangsar, Manjung and Perak Tengah, KLK has been working with the State Welfare Department and relief centres to supply humanitarian aid in the form of food and hygiene kits, as well as cleaning equipment. KLK s corporate responsibility activities are still on-going to provide further assistance in the cleaning-up process of the flood aftermath. Tan Sri Lee further added, I am very grateful for the solidarity shown by our employees in the other regions who swung into action to mobilise aid. We will take away the lessons learnt from this recent flood and re-assess our current disaster response system to further improve it and enhance our early warning preparations.
Photos Homes and properties submerged in water
Aftermath of the flood
Tan Sri Lee (left) and other members of management on a boat to access the flood stricken KLK operating centres Tan Sri Lee meeting and handing out basic necessities to employees and local communities at Kuala Krai and Tanah Merah
KLK employees volunteering in response to packing food and other essential items for Kelantan *******************ENDS********************* For further information, please contact: Lim Poh Poh Senior Manager, Investor Relations & Corporate Communications Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad Tel : +605 241 7844 Email : pp.lim@klk.com.my Laila Wilfred Corporate Manager, Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad Tel : +603 7809 8988 Email : laila.w@klk.com.my