KUALA LUMPUR: The government has allocated RM30 million under Belanjawan MADANI 2025 to fund Yayasan Sime Darby’s (YSD) social impact programmes, with a focus on autism support and inclusive education.
Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan said the allocation reflects the government’s commitment to strengthening corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts through collaboration between the public sector, corporate bodies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
“The YSD SALAM Autisme programme comprises two key components. The first is a national-level special education teacher training initiative in collaboration with IDEAS Autism Centre (IAC) and the Ministry of Education’s Teacher Professionalism Division.
“The second is a community scholarship programme to train individuals as Applied Behaviour Analysis Technicians (ABAT), in partnership with Early Autism Project Malaysia (EAP),” he said at the launch of the initiative held in conjunction with World Autism Awareness Month.
His speech text was read by Director of the National Budget at the Ministry of Finance, Datuk Indera Ab Rahim Ab Rahman.
Amir Hamzah said a total of 26 CSR projects are currently being implemented nationwide under the Ministry of Finance-YSD matching grant framework introduced in Belanjawan 2025.
He said the initiatives cover a wide range of focus areas, including early autism intervention, HIV/AIDS treatment, palliative care, women empowerment, teenage pregnancy prevention, community arts engagement, and support for low-income housing communities.
The event also featured engagements with grant recipients actively involved in improving community wellbeing.
Amir Hamzah also expressed appreciation to YSD for its continued partnership and trust in delivering high-impact, transparent and well-governed programmes that align with national social development goals.
