Healthier Malaysians, Stronger Malaysia Local Heroes

Healthier Malaysians, Stronger Malaysia Campaign's Six Local Heroes were unveiled by Mead Johnson Nutrition recently at a virtual event, after three weeks of receiving nominations of admirable individuals across Malaysia from members of the public. 

Healthier Malaysians, Stronger Malaysia Local Heroes 

This campaign was launched under Mead Johnson Nutrition’s new adult nutrition brand – PROVITAL Immuna Plus in an initiative to help support the immune health of the local heroes who are doing extraordinary things to make a difference to the communities. The virtual event was officiated by Y.A.M. Tengku Datin Paduka Setia Zatashah Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, Princess of Selangor in conjunction with Malaysia Day.

: 'Healthier Malaysians, Stronger Malaysia' virtual event attended by Y.A.M. Tengku Datin Paduka Setia Zatashah (centre top), Gonzalo Balcazar (centre left, standing), Dr Kent Woo (centre bottom), emcee Xu Zhen Ru (centre right) with Local Heroes (left and right)

The ‘Healthier Malaysians, Stronger Malaysia’ campaign aims to celebrate and honour the ordinary Malaysians who have stepped up to bring about positive community impact through their initiatives or cause. The local heroes who were identified and nominated are Kuan Chee Heng or fondly known as Uncle Kentang, Adrian Pereira, Esther Chit, Aunty Jenny, Har Yin Geong, and Siamy Tan.

“This ‘Healthier Malaysians, Stronger Malaysia’ campaign brings to light the many good initiatives carried out by our fellow Malaysians. It is a celebration of values and the true Malaysian ‘can-do’ spirit demonstrated by many. I am truly proud of our local heroes, those known and many, many more unknown. This is the step in the right direction as we create greater awareness of the plight of others and how companies like Mead Johnson and broader community can help. It is encouraging to see that Malaysians remain undeterred by their age and the pandemic in their efforts to help and support each other. I hope that this campaign and the stories of these Local Heroes will encourage more Malaysians to participate in social work or support existing initiatives, but at the same time, practice good lifestyle habits to remain healthy during this challenging time,” shared Y.A.M. Tengku Zatashah.

“Mead Johnson Nutrition has always been a proponent of healthy bodies and communities. We are inspired by the amazing efforts of these Local Heroes who have selflessly contributed to the Malaysian society. Hence in line with PROVITAL Immuna Plus’ vision to nurture healthier Malaysians, we would like to value these heroes by supporting their health. While many may have supported these heroes in various ways, let us not forget to take care of our heroes’ health as well, so they have a stronger and healthier body to continue their mission in helping the communities. We are also pleased to collaborate with Yayasan Food Bank Malaysia by contributing 1,000 packs of PROVITAL Immuna Plus containing nutrients to support the immune health of families in need to make sure they stay healthy in these challenging times,” said Gonzalo Balcazar, General Manager of Mead Johnson Nutrition Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam. 

Y.A.M. Tengku Datin Paduka Setia Zatashah (left), Chairperson of Yayasan Food Bank Malaysia receiving contribution of adult nutritious milk, PROVITAL Immuna Plus from Gonzalo Balcazar (centre, standing)

Gonzalo added, “We want to create a platform for Malaysians to support one another by advocating for good health, especially in promoting strong immune system. This is possible through our nutritious adult milk, PROVITAL Immuna Plus, with its unique Triple Immunity Protection proposition from nutrients such as yeast beta-glucan, selenium and vitamin C. Our efforts support the belief of 45% of respondents in our recent survey who believe that nutrition is a key factor for a strong immunity. In addition, 51% of Malaysian adults choose nutritional products to support their health. With these factors in mind, we want to offer support for the health of our everyday heroes so that they can focus on carrying out their initiatives with confidence.”

“It is encouraging to see that Malaysians are going the extra mile to support each other especially during the current situation, without neglecting their own health and wellbeing. The public needs to understand that social work can impact our bodies and there should be more awareness about importance of maintaining good health and strong immunity. I hope that more Malaysians will emulate these Local Heroes by taking care of themselves and the people around them,” Dr. Kent Woo Chee Keen, Consultant Physician, Allergist and Immunologist of Gleneagles Hospital Kuala Lumpur shares.

This Malaysia Day, Mead Johnson has let’s celebrate and support the following Local Heroes featured in the ‘Healthier Malaysians, Stronger Malaysia’ campaign with their admirable efforts:

Local Hero	Details of Initiatives
Kuan    Chee    Heng             or Uncle Kentang	Local philanthropist who has been providing various types of aid and assistance to the underprivileged
Adrian Pereira	Executive Director of North-South Initiative which aims to improve human rights and labour rights among marginalised communities
Esther Chit	Master Builder at EPIC Homes that bridges the urban and rural divide through the act of building homes for underprivileged communities
Aunty Jenny	Animal activist who has been rescuing strays for the past 20 years
Har Yin Geong	Volunteer coordinator who assists senior citizens with their vaccination appointments
Siamy Tan	Home cook and coordinates a team of other home cooks to prepare meals for underprivileged groups