As a strong advocate of smoke-free workplaces, Tan Sri Dr. Jeffrey Cheah, AO, Founder and Chairman of Sunway Group has reinforced his commitment in driving Sunway-owned buildings within the 800-acre Sunway Resort City (SRC) to be 100% smoke-free by 2018. This is part of the Group’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts under the Healthcare pillar to inform and educate the community on health issues by creating a healthy and smoke-free space for its communities which include visitors, residents, students and employees.
Currently, Sunway Medical Centre, Sunway University, Monash University Malaysia, Sunway Pyramid and Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa are smoke-free (with designated smoking areas). Oftentimes, Sunway Medical Centre and learning institutions in the Sunway Education Group organise smoke-free awareness campaigns and public health forums within and beyond Sunway Resort City.
To raise awareness on the negative health effects resulting from tobacco use, Sunway throws its support behind World Health Organization’s (WHO) through its collaborations with the Ministry of Health and the Malaysian Health Promotion Board (MySihat) in various initiatives and activities. This includes the awareness of Sunway smoke-free policies, assisting in developing Malaysia’s first user guide on smoke-free workplaces, participation in the Malaysia Blue Ribbon Campaign and World No Tobacco Day.
Sunway Hotels
All 1,005 guestrooms & suites, enclosed public areas and function venues within Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa, Pyramid Tower East and The Villas have been converted into smoke-free zones. However, designated smoking areas have been made available within selected outdoor locations at the hotel.
Sunway’s Lost World Hotel in Tambun, Ipoh, has also set a milestone by being the first hotel in Perak to be smoke-free.
Sunway Medical Centre
In 2014, Sunway Medical Centre set up a Smoking Cessation Programme supported by Quit Smoking Clinics and telephone helplines to help smokers commit in breaking the habit. A group of four pharmacists from Sunway Medical Centre also completed a smoking cessation training with the Ministry of Health.
Sunway Pyramid
In 2013, Malaysian Health Promotion Board (MySihat) recognised and accredited Sunway Pyramid as Malaysia’s first Health Promoting Mall (HPM).
HPM is part of MySihat’s initiative to position shopping malls as a recreational setting that promotes the well-being of its shoppers, visitors, employees, tenants and local community towards achieving a healthier and active lifestyle, through physical activities, healthy food choices and smoke-free environment.
Messages and reminders supported with medical facts in forms of visuals are displayed at key locations throughout the mall, staircases and the covered elevated Canopy Walk, connecting Sunway Pyramid, Sunway University and Monash University Malaysia within Sunway Resort City.
Partnership with Ministry of Health (MOH) and Malaysian Health Promotion Board (MySihat)
Besides the progressive roll-out at Sunway-owned buildings, Sunway also plays a key role as a strategic partner with Ministry of Health (MOH) and Malaysian Health Promotion Board (MySihat).
Past and present engagement activities include:
• Supporting The Blue Ribbon Campaign, an international campaign introduced by World Health Organization (WHO) launched in 2013, to promote awareness on health hazards of secondhand smoke.
• Creating awareness of the dangers of secondhand smoke and enforcement of Sunway smoke-free policies.
• Contributed to developing Malaysia’s first user guide on smoke-free workplaces.