JA MALAYSIA AND METLIFE FOUNDATION GIVE STUDENTS PLATFORM FOR CREATIVITY IN EXPRESSING THANKS TO OUR FRONT LINE MEDICAL WORKERS

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 8 (Bernama) -- Junior Achievement (JA) Malaysia, an education-based not-for-profit organization, launched the “JA Show Your Gratitude” Competition, with the support of MetLife Foundation and AmMetLife Insurance Berhad (AmMetLife), to cultivate creativity among students and encourage them to show gratitude to care givers, and other essential workers in these challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The competition consisted of two categories, the first of which invited students aged 7-9 to create artworks depicting gratitude to their parents or care giver, while the second category invited students aged 10-12 to write a thank you letter and take a photo dressed as the person they are grateful for. All artwork, photos and letters were submitted to JA Malaysia. The top 20 participants in each category were then asked to submit a video based on their artwork or letter.  Finalists received prizes ranging from mobile devices, computer accessories and dining vouchers.

A judging panel was set up comprising of JA Malaysia volunteers and employees of AmMetLife. Employees from MetLife Asia Services Sdn Bhd (MetLife’s Asia-based Centre of Excellence in financial reporting, planning and analysis, and finance technology systems) were also invited to volunteer as judges to select winners from over 377 submissions, received from students across ten Malaysian states.

According to Ramzi Toubassy, Chief Executive Officer, AmMetLife Insurance Berhad, “Through our collaboration with MetLife Foundation, students were able to express their gratitude towards the front-line care workers who are the unsung heroes in this fight against COVID-19. This is one of the many initiatives that AmMetLife, with the support of MetLife Foundation, has in place to help the community during this pandemic.”

According to Stuart Dean, Chairman of JA Malaysia, “We are pleased with the high number of submissions received for this contest. Through this initiative we were able to instil a sense of social responsibility among the students while giving them the opportunity to be creative and appreciative of their parents and care givers.”

Isaac Yuen Ren Xian from SK St Michael, Ipoh, the grand prize winner for Category 2 said “My creativity has certainly improved, especially when making the video as it was a new skill I had to develop. My brothers were very helpful in teaching me how to make the video. A big thank you to them and to my mum for being so encouraging.”  The winner for Category 1, Beh Yun Yi of SJKC Hua Lian 3, Taiping, expressed her gratitude to Dato’ Seri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, Malaysia’s Director General of Health and all medical front liners, who have been working around the clock to treat COVID-19 patients.

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