Manulife Malaysia teams up with Roots & Shoots to aid and empower underprivileged Wang Kelian communities

Manulife Malaysia, a provider of diverse financial protection, health and wealth management products and services teamed up with the local arm of  Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots with a three-year collaboration aimed at supporting the rehabilitation of the 10km-long ‘Denai Warisan’ trail that is part of the Wang Kelian region in Perlis to turn it into a bastion of eco-tourism.

Manulife’s contributions in funding will help support biodiversity surveys, trail restoration and special flora and fauna zones to offer educational opportunities and highlight the unique biodiversity of the region. The collaboration will also empower and upskill the local  250-person community with  valuable skills including financial literacy.

“Manulife Malaysia and Roots & Shoots Malaysia share a vision of empowering local communities and preserving our natural heritage. Representing the launch of Manulife Malaysia’s flagship program on Environmental and Biodiversity Preservation, this partnership aims to engage our customers, employees, and advisors in environmental preservation and biodiversity conservation while enhancing local socio-economic conditions,” said Vibha Coburn, Group Chief Executive Officer of Manulife Holdings Berhad. “Furthermore, by localising the Manulife financial literacy module, we create engagement pathways for our employees and advisors to actively participate in community development.”

“Building on the foundation of the “Wang Kelian, Perlis – The Forgotten Valley” project in partnership with Think City and The Habitat Foundation, we are excited to move into the next  phase with an additional committed partner Manulife, where not only will the physical ecotourism asset of the trail be made available to the public, but we are also now able to upskill the local communities to take full advantage of the opportunities that ecotourism can bring,” said TP Lim, President of Roots & Shoots Malaysia. 

“Following the holistic approach of conservation practised by the Jane Goodall Institute in 6 countries in Africa, we know that in order for nature and biodiversity to be conserved effectively, we must also ensure that the human communities that live near these reserves are able to access income opportunities in a sustainable manner. Our gratitude goes out to Jabatan Perhutanan Perlis for their continued encouragement and support. This project demonstrates that when government, community, corporations and NGOs work together closely, we can create a better world for animals, nature and human communities.” he added. For more details visit https://www.manulife.com/en/about/sustainability/impact-agenda.html