This article first appeared in The Edge Malaysia Weekly on October 5, 2026 - October 11, 2026

Sunway Construction Group Bhd (KL:SUNCON) knows that most of its projects occur around residential areas and affect the general public and local communities. Because of this, maintaining public trust and community relations through corporate responsibility (CR) initiatives is vital for the company’s operations.

To address this matter, the group runs several community programmes through its SunCon Social Club to support and engage local communities, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

These efforts are recognised at The Edge Billion Ringgit Club 2026 Awards, with SunCon named as a joint winner for the Best CR Initiative in the category for companies with market capitalisation below RM10 billion.

In its annual report, SunCon noted that while its data centres and infrastructure projects saw the company’s net profits for the financial year ended Dec 31, 2025, rise 94% to RM361.8 million, these projects also have a real impact on the surrounding areas, affecting cleanliness, traffic congestion, air quality and more.

Inadequately addressing these concerns can affect the quality of life of local communities and workers, potentially triggering backlash and hindering project progress.

Proactive engagement and proper outreach can, however, instil trust. For SunCon, core CR initiatives include volunteer works, contributions to the less fortunate, and open channels for adjacent communities to engage the group’s operations.

“Strong governance, climate readiness and workforce standards continue to shape how SunCon positions itself for sustainable and responsible growth,” says Datuk Goh Chye Koon, former chairman of SunCon, in the annual report.

Major success stories include the Sunway Flora project team’s mosquito control efforts, which involved fogging and removing mosquito breeding sites near Stadium Bukit Jalil, as well as clearing dirt mounds and debris in the area, according to SunCon’s annual report.

In Ipoh, its Sunway City Ipoh Mall project team donated festive vouchers to a nearby handicapped children’s welfare home, on top of handing out necessities to 100 homeless persons.

In Johor, the Johor-Singapore Rapid Transit System Link project team helped with post-flood recovery efforts at Pusat Perdagangan Danga Utama in Skudai, Johor.

Another project team in charge of a multi-storey park-and-ride lot in Johor also held weekly street-cleaning efforts along Jalan Salleh in Taman Kim Teng while construction efforts were ongoing.

Beyond on-site initiatives, SunCon also provides a dedicated hotline, phone number and an email address for local communities affected by its construction sites to engage in open dialogue and provide feedback or raise concerns.

On top of these localised site initiatives, SunCon’s broader corporate responsibility in FY2025 translated into a total investment of RM2.53 million in social impact projects and community initiatives, directly reaching nearly 8,000 beneficiaries in the year.

A key pillar of this funding was SunCon’s ongoing support for the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation, championing quality education and community enrichment, coupled with mobilising volunteerism through the group’s #SunwayforGood corporate social responsibility platform.

For the sector, talent development is key. To support future talent and the wider community, SunCon has actively built educational pathways, conducting 16 university outreach sessions that engaged 1,700 students in discussions on contemporary construction challenges.

The group also provided hands-on development opportunities, offering 164 internships to graduates and undergraduates to help prepare them for careers in the industry.

SunCon also collaborated with Sunway Medical Centre to organise a voluntary on-site Health Screening Programme for its workforce from May to August 2025. The initiative screened 3,484 foreign and subcontractor site workers, helping detect occupational and communicable diseases early and ensure a safer, more protected working environment.

This internal care was reinforced through direct engagement, with SunCon holding native-language town halls across 19 project sites. These sessions achieved 100% participation among its direct foreign workers, providing transparent briefings on employment terms and support in obtaining CIDB Trade Certifications.

Environmental stewardship was also elevated to a core component of SunCon’s CR framework. Partnering with the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS), the group organised a mangrove restoration initiative that successfully planted 500 mangrove trees.

Lastly, the group subjected all of its 224 newly onboarded suppliers and subcontractors to rigorous environmental and social assessments, solidifying sustainable and ethical standards from the ground up.

An effective social responsibility programme is not flashy but relevant to the sector in which a company operates, and touches the lives of surrounding communities. In a tough working environment such as construction, such programmes should also support the quality of life of the workforce as well as nurture the talent pool that narrows the gap between education and industry demand.

SunCon’s efforts demonstrate how corporate responsibility can be done right.

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