Ramadan giving often means a cheque and a photo. Sunway Group's Sinar Ramadan asks for something harder: time.
For its 2026 edition in Johor Bahru, the group hosted a breaking of fast at Pusat Jagaan Impian Syimah, a home for the elderly. Bernama reported on the event on 1 March 2026.
Who was there
The guests were 61 senior citizens. Forty-one live at Pusat Jagaan Impian Syimah and 20 came from Persatuan Kebajikan Nur Ehsan Negeri Johor. Fourteen caretakers joined them.
Sunway staff volunteers served the food, which was prepared by Sunway Big Box Hotel. They sat with residents and helped those who were bedridden to eat.
Sunway Group deputy executive chairman Datin Paduka Sarena Cheah handed over essential items and joined the traditional bubur stirring. She also distributed date cakes sponsored by Sunway City Iskandar Puteri.
Support that outlasts the evening
The contribution didn't end when the plates were cleared. Sunway committed RM1,500 a month in groceries over two months, to help the care centre and the welfare association with daily running costs.
That matters to a home like this one. Its manager, Nor Hasyimah Hamzah, told Bernama that monthly costs are high. The centre opened in 2008 and takes in elderly people who have no family or no home.
Partners included the Malaysia AIDS Foundation, Yayasan Raja Zarith Sofiah Negeri Johor, the Selangor Youth Community and the Malaysian Red Crescent Society. Yayasan Raja Zarith Sofiah presented duit raya to the residents.
Twelve years of #SunwayforGood
Sinar Ramadan started in 2014 under the group's #SunwayforGood initiative. Sunway City Iskandar Puteri chief executive officer Gerard Soosay said it has benefited more than 100,000 people since then.
He described the programme as part of the company's culture, and a way to get staff volunteering.
It's not Sunway's only community programme this year. In January, the Back2School 2026 initiative led by Sunway University gave school supplies to about 1,200 children in Desa Mentari, Petaling Jaya, with funding support from the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation.
The takeaway
Showing up in person is the point. Money keeps a care home running, but company is what residents tend to go without.
Other Malaysian organisations mark the season differently. Yayasan PETRONAS's Aidilfitri assistance reached thousands of low-income households with food aid. On a more personal scale, there's the story of how Dato' Seri Ivan Teh stood by a family in crisis.
Sunway's back-to-school work sits alongside TNB's Ceria Ke Sekolah programme for B40 students. And Johor was also the setting for AmanahRaya's community and conservation programme in Mersing.
Frequently asked questions
What is Sinar Ramadan?
It's Sunway Group's annual Ramadan CSR programme, launched in 2014 under the #SunwayforGood initiative.
Who benefited from the 2026 Johor Bahru event?
Sixty-one senior citizens from Pusat Jagaan Impian Syimah and Persatuan Kebajikan Nur Ehsan Negeri Johor, along with 14 caretakers.
What did Sunway contribute beyond the meal?
Essential items, date cakes and RM1,500 a month in groceries over two months.
Sources
Bernama: "Sinar Ramadan: Sunway Group Spreads Joy To Elderly At Johor Bahru Care Centres", 1 March 2026.
Sunway University: "Back2School 2026 Initiative Supports Desa Mentari Children for the New Academic Year", 12 January 2026.