Maybank Foundation signs five year MoU with IJN, pledges to raise RM500,000 each year via MaybankHeart to support ASEAN children in need

Maybank Foundation (MF), the social impact arm of the Maybank Group (Maybank) and Institut Jantung Negara (IJN) on 27 September 2023 signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the intent to provide life-saving treatments to pediatric heart patients of children in need from ASEAN countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam each year via its newly launched ‘Heart2Heart’ campaign.

Heart2Heart, which aims to raise RM500,000 in proceeds each year through crowdfunding, will be sourced and managed using Maybank’s online crowdfunding platform, MaybankHeart, in which collected funds will be disbursed to IJN’s account held with Maybank. The campaign targets to fund RM45,000 for each heart patient, which includes preliminary consultation, procedures and surgeries such as catheterisation, PDA occlusion, Ventrical Septal Defect or Atrial Septal Defect. Treatments will be carried out by IJN in coordination with their partner hospitals in ASEAN.

L - R : Group President & CEO Maybank, Dato’ Khairussaleh Ramli, Chairman of Maybank, Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Zamzamzairani, Head, Group Corporate Affairs Maybank & CEO Maybank Foundation, Izlyn Ramli, Deputy CEO, IJN, Dato’ Akmal Arief Mohd Fauzi, Chairman of IJN, Datuk Seri Dr. Haji Dzulkefly Ahmad and CEO IJN, Datuk Dr Aizai Azan Abdul Rahim at the MOU signing ceremony between Maybank Foundation and Institut Jantung Negara (IJN) on the ‘Heart2Heart’ campaign, in conjunction with Maybank Championship 2023.  

The agreement was inked by Izlyn Ramli, Head of Group Corporate Affairs Maybank & CEO Maybank Foundation and Dato’ Akmal Arief Mohd Fauzi, Deputy CEO, IJN. The signing was witnessed by Maybank Chairman, Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Zamzamzairani, Chairman of IJN, Datuk Seri Dr. Haji Dzulkefly Ahmad, Group President & CEO Maybank, Dato’ Khairussaleh Ramli and CEO IJN, Datuk Dr Aizai Azan Abdul Rahim.

Izlyn Ramli said “Congenital heart disease (CHD) is said to be the most common form of birth defects and refers to a diverse group of conditions which affect the heart’s structure at birth. CHD impacts nearly 1% of newborns worldwide, with approximately 8 to 10 cases for every 1,000 live births. As a responsible foundation focused on creating positive and sustainable long-term impact in the communities we serve, we are in a position to help address such health challenges faced by these children. With the introduction of the Heart2Heart campaign, we hope to gain public support, which in return will provide young heart patients the chance to undergo treatment, towards ensuring a better quality of life for their future.”  

Salient points of the MoU between Maybank and IJN include MaybankHeart being the sole online platform provider to host and manage the Heart2Heart campaign, to crowdfund for the cost per patient of up to RM45,000 depending on the surgery and requirement of the follow-up procedure(s) and Maybank’s continuous efforts to drive awareness for the cause through relevant Maybank communication platforms.

IJN in turn will identify beneficiaries that meet the Heart2Heart campaign criteria, managing all other costs associated with the patient including but not limited to travel and accommodation (up to two caretakers) and other medical procedures required pre- and post-surgery. They will also ensure the execution of the Heart2Heart campaign and to drive awareness for the cause through relevant IJN platforms.

IJN CEO, Datuk Dr Aizai Azan Abdul Rahim said “IJN is driven by our values of excellence, compassion, and inclusivity; we believe that high-quality healthcare should be accessible to all and are always eager to work with parties who share our vision. Even as we navigate the complexities of healthcare costs, we have continuously strived to ensure our services reach those who are in need and this collaboration furthers our mission of making a lasting impact on communities in need of high-quality heart care. Through this collaboration, we hope to amplify our ability making profound and lasting impact on young lives across the region.”  

The Heart2Heart campaign came about in conjunction with Maybank Championship, an annual golf tournament sanctioned by the Ladies Professional Golf Association (“LPGA”) for an initial period from 2023 to 2025, with the intent to increase social and economic impact beyond the golf tournament. As part of the tournament, the event will also feature initiatives such as the ‘Charity Hole’ during its Pro-Am tournament where corporates and esteemed guests can donate to the cause, as well as the ‘Pro-Am Charity Auction’ which will help raise proceeds from auctioning signed items by LPGA players. 

In addition, at the Maybank Championship, visitors can also donate to the cause via a large heart display that is signed by LPGA players, which is equipped with a QR code for visitors to donate. IJN will also set up a IJN Photo booth where visitors can have photo opportunities and make donations.

Maybank Championship is rooted in the intent of doing good on and off the green, while leveraging on the platform to be a force for good - for both the sport and society at large. Not just a sporting spectacle, the platform acts as a purposeful agent of change for the communities that Maybank serves, a testament to Maybank’s humanising financial services mission, to enable and empower its communities’ ambitions so that they can realise their fullest potential.

Meanwhile, MF as the social impact arm of Maybank Group and an accredited ASEAN entity, helps to deliver on the Group’s mission by bringing about positive change to the communities it serves in the countries Maybank operates in, primarily via financial inclusion and community empowerment; aligned to its 3 impact pillars of Education, Community Empowerment and Environmental Diversity. To date, MF has impacted more than 400,000 lives across ASEAN.

Maybank Championship is also in line with the purpose of the LPGA Foundation, which was established in 1991 and is a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organisation, supporting women and young people through programs and initiatives aimed at empowering them through the game of golf. The LPGA Foundation has touched more than 500,000 lives through various scholarship and financial assistance programs for women and young ladies, along with its flagship junior golf program, LPGA*USGA Girls Golf.

The Heart2Heart campaign is open to the public and they can support the cause by donating to the campaign available on the MaybankHeart platform by visiting the link: https://maybank.my/mbbheart-heart2heart.

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About Maybank Foundation

Maybank Foundation, an ASEAN accredited entity, is the main vehicle for corporate responsibility across Maybank Group with the mandate to create positive, long-term impact in communities in the markets where Maybank operates through various community and social-impact programmes. Its accreditation as an entity associated with ASEAN marked them out as the first financial institution in ASEAN to be given such honour.

About Institut Jantung Negara Sdn. Bhd.

Institut Jantung Negara (IJN) was set up in 1992 and is dedicated to the management and treatment of heart diseases by providing cardiology, paediatric cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery services for adults and children. Today, IJN is reckoned to be among the best medical centres for cardiovascular and thoracic care in Malaysia and the region. IJN has kept abreast with the latest medical advances, from handling a simple hole in the heart surgery to heart and lungs transplantations. With a strong commitment to be a global heart care centre of excellence, IJN has paved the way by creating many “firsts” for cardiovascular and thoracic care in the country.