KUALA LUMPUR (May 17): Creador founder and chief executive officer (CEO) Brahmal Vasudevan and his spouse have pledged to donate RM50 million to the Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) Education Fund on Tuesday (May 17).

In a statement Tuesday, UTAR said the funds are to be utilised for the construction development of an RM330 million not-for-profit teaching hospital at the UTAR Kampar campus in Perak. 

The university noted that Brahmal and his spouse Shanthi Kandiah, who is the founder of law firm SK Chambers, made the pledge via their trust Alaka Holdings Ltd. 

“Shanthi and I believe that everyone should have access to affordable, good quality medical care, and we are pleased to make this contribution to UTAR to help make this vision a reality,” Brahmal said in making the pledge.

The Creador founder added that the hospital will provide a vital service to the people of Kampar and its surrounding communities, and create programmes that will not only affect the health of our communities but can be leveraged in healthcare facilities across the country for all Malaysians.

UTAR said the pair are committed, via their personal initiatives and the work of Creador Foundation, to support local causes that make a lasting impact on underserved communities such as financial literacy, education and healthcare. 

“They believe that sustainable development requires a concerted effort from all and are hoping that their pledge nudges support from broader communities,” the university added.

UTAR Education Foundation Board of Trustees chairman Tan Sri Dr Sak Cheng Lum noted that the university was established as a not-for-profit university in 2002 and is constructing this non-for-profit hospital to bring quality and affordable healthcare to local communities.

He added that as a teaching hospital, the UTAR Hospital will also be utilised as an avenue to provide and promote additional training, learning and research within the field.

With the pair’s pledge, the university noted that the fundraising campaign for the building of the UTAR Hospital — which total cost is RM330 million — has passed the halfway mark with RM201 million donated and pledged. 

It said it calls for more support for the remaining RM129 million shortfall to ensure the swift completion of the project. The building of the hospital has commenced and is expected to be completed and in operation by 2023.