Malaysian AIDS Foundation Partners Malaysia Aviation Group to End AIDS

Kuala Lumpur, 9 May 2022: Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), the parent company of national carrier Malaysia Airlines has entered into a collaboration with the Malaysian AIDS Foundation (MAF) in the fight of ending the epidemic of AIDS.

Through MAG’s global network, joint efforts are being established to reach out to underprivileged communities affected by HIV/AIDS across Malaysia with lifesaving treatment, care and support programmes, as well as advancing HIV/AIDS advocacy initiatives in line with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Professor Datuk Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman, Chairman of MAF thanked MAG partners and commented, “We are proud to welcome MAG into the fold as we double down on our efforts to end AIDS in the next decade. As the journey ahead of us is paved with post-COVID challenges, the MAG partnership could not have been more opportune and significant. Not only will the contribution of the air tickets connect us more seamlessly with our local partners and stakeholders nationwide, but it will also allow us to mobilise and reallocate our resources for critical HIV/AIDS programmes and communities that need them the most.”

Highlighting the impact of the partnership, Dr Adeeba added, “Though attainable, we still have a long way to go as far as achieving our ending AIDS goal goes. However, having MAG on board as a partner will take us countless miles closer towards it, as long as we continue to place treatment and prevention at the core of our AIDS response and step up our efforts to eliminate social disparities and stigma associated with HIV.”

Meanwhile, Captain Izham Ismail, Group Chief Executive Officer of MAG said, "In the spirit of shared responsibility, we are glad to support MAF in their efforts to combat the AIDS epidemic by delivering secure and reliable connectivity across the country.

We hope our contribution will help MAF build a safe, inclusive, and empowered environment for communities living in HIV/AIDS, and that it will contribute to the National Strategic Plan for Ending AIDS by 2030.”

Adding that sustainability is key in driving its purpose, he noted, “Our cooperation with MAF, which is also part of our Corporate Social Responsibility effort, is driven by our Sustainability Development Blueprint, which strives to encourage socioeconomic development and positively increase the sustainability of areas where we operate, among other things. As a result, we are looking forward to not just getting this important relationship off the ground, but also establishing strategic objective with MAF.”

The partnership which also supports the MAG’s Corporate Social Responsibility framework is vouch to provide a seamless, safe and hygienic travel experience connecting domestic destinations nationwide, including to Sabah and Sarawak via its national carrier, Malaysia Airlines and supported by its sister companies, Firefly and MASwings, in supporting MAF’s a high-impact HIV/AIDS work spearheaded by MAF.

Together with MAF’s local partners and stakeholders including the State Health Authorities, civil society partners and CSR partners such as Yayasan Sime Darby, Yayasan Petronas and Sunway Group, MAG’s partnership is timely in the fight of ending AIDS.

MAG will also be joining the Malaysian Business Consortium for HIV/AIDS (MBCH), a corporate advocacy platform lead by MAF that promotes an enabling workplace environment for HIV/AIDS, which aims to strengthen MAG’s commitment to promoting HIV/AIDS awareness among its customers and development of policies and the implementation of programs on HIV/AIDS non-discrimination, awareness, prevention and health support.