As the renown Japanese retailer who opened the doors of its first international store in Malaysia more than 35 years ago, the AEON Group of Companies (from its early beginnings as Jusco Stores) have today grown to become one of the largest retailers not just in Japan and Malaysia, but across Asia, offering services from mall management, to retail development and financial services.

At yesterday’s Malam Mesra AEON, Foundation President Datin Yasmin Ahmad Merican said that AEON’s rapid growth in Japan, Malaysia and Asia is premised on the simple business philosophy of Peace. People. Community promoted by the group’s founder, Chairman Takuya Okada. It is the belief that no business can thrive without the help and the loyalty of others, and that no business can be sustained without giving back to those who have supported your growth and success. That regardless of how small or big you are as an organization, doing whatever little you can, whenever you can and with whatever you have, will go a long way in building collaborative relationships for long and strategic success.

The role of the Malaysian AEON Foundation is therefore to ensure that business is not just about profits. More important, it is in the building of capabilities through continual educational support and cultivating living and work environments which would contribute towards the good of communities in the countries in which AEON operates.

These business values in sharing and giving are adopted and delivered by the Malaysian AEON Foundation through three major initiatives: care for the environment through major tree planting projects, responding to the needs of community across the many cultures in Malaysia, and supporting health and wellness among the young and the disabled.

Yesterday saw AEON sharing the captivating beauty of the different Malaysian cultures with 1,000 business partners, friends, associates and eight children’s homes. To add to the multicultural theme, guests which included the Japanese community, came in their best national and traditional dress to ‘bermesra’ and celebrate friendships which have been built for more than three decades between Malaysia and Japan and also across many communities and cultures.

Gracing the event was Guest of Honour, DYMM Tunku Ampuan Besar Negeri Sembilan Darul Khusus, Tuanku Aishah Rohani binti Almarhum Tengku Besar Mahmud; new Japanese ambassador to Malaysia, Mr Hiroshi Oka, and Yg. Bhg. Datuk Muez Abdul Aziz, Secretary General of the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs.

With the foundation’s focus on education, wellness and community, the following homes were presented with the donations by DYMM Tunku Ampuan Besar Negeri Sembilan in the presence of Malaysian AEON Foundation President, Datin Yasmin Ahmad Merican, Managing Director of AEON Co (M) Berhad, Shinobu Washizawa and Managing Director of AEON Credit (M) Berhad, Mr. Yuro Kisaka.

The details of the donations are as follows:

1. Damo Children’s Homes from Kluang, Johor received RM29,000 to pay for 2020 school fees and uniforms for 20 orphans and a subsidy for the university education of four additional children.
2. Rumah Bakti Nur Syaheera from Cheras, Kuala Lumpur received RM13,500 for school fees and uniforms for 30 children for the 2020 school year.
3. Cross Community from Kluang, Johore received RM30,000 to fund the school uniforms for 200 children in the 2020 school year.
4. The Trinity Community Children’s Home from Petaling Jaya, Selangor received a total of RM15,000 to cover the cost of school fees and uniforms for 20 children, the cost of home-schooling for 4 children of refugees and with Christmas around the corner, Christmas gifts of RM200 for all 24 children.
5. YouShan Pertubuhan Anak Anak Yatim dan OKU Mesra also from Petaling Jaya, Selangor was given RM35,000 to cover the annual cost of medical theraphy and support for all 40 residents (orphans and disabled) in the home.
6. Pertubuhan Nur Kasih Bestari from Tanjung Malim, Perak received RM16,200 to cover the cost of uniforms and school fees for 36 children in the 2020 school year.
7. Pure Life Society from Jalan Puchong, Kuala Lumpur similarly received RM33,450 for the cost of uniforms, school fees and Christmas presents for all 61 children at the home.
8. Beautiful Gate Foundation for the Disabled was given RM20,000 as the annual fee for vocational training support for all residents at their Petaling Jaya centre.