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Southern Lion Sdn. Bhd. (“SL”), in collaboration with the Malaysian Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Dental Society, promoted products from its oral care brands to dental clinics in the city of Klang Valley. At these dental clinics, visitors were provided with samples of Systema brand products for adults and KODOMO brand products for children, resulting in greater brand recognition and more brand recommendations from participating patients. In 2024, samples were given to 57,494 people with an eye to helping them realize the importance of proper toothbrushing methods as well as increasing product sales.
The Lion Hygiene Program is a social contribution program established in 1998 by SL to promote good oral health habits in kindergartens and elementary schools throughout Malaysia. It is conducted throughout the year. The main objective of the program is to create awareness of the importance of maintaining good overall hygiene for better overall health. The program is targeted at children between the ages of 4 and 12 as SL believes that good overall hygiene must be cultivated from a young age.
The program was developed by the Lion Foundation for Dental Health (LDH), a public interest incorporated foundation established by Lion Corporation in Japan. SL has localized the program in terms of content and techniques to the local audience. Over the years, it has worked with government-run dental clinics and the Malaysian Dental Therapists’ Association (MDTA) throughout Malaysia, and SL believes this program is an effective way to teach the Malaysian public proper brushing techniques. Since 2021, SL has incorporated handwashing into the Program, thus renaming it the Lion Hygiene Program.
The program is conducted in a fun and interactive way to make it more interesting to children. It includes activities such as a storytelling session, a slideshow, tooth brushing demonstrations, tips on good dental habits and basic handwashing steps. As a part of SL’s commitment to creating awareness of good overall hygiene, every child involved in the program receives a KODOMO goodie bag with a toothbrush and toothpaste inside.
In 2024, the program was held from January to October, with 97,223 children participating. Total participants across Malaysia since the program started in 1998 number more than 1.32 million.
As a countermeasure against the spread of COVID-19, SL initiated an online oral and hand hygiene program aimed at 8,768 kindergarteners aged 4 to 6. Children took part in the fun, interactive program, which included instruction on tooth brushing techniques and proper handwashing method. From January through October 2024, SL enhanced the content, making it even easier for children to understand, even when participating online.
On October 13, 2024, at the Imago Shopping Mall in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, a wide range of activities, services and information on oral care were provided to improve the dental health and overall well-being of seniors over the age of 60. In addition to SL, dental clinics, community day care centers and the Kota Kinabalu County Public Health Department collaborated to create a dental health exhibtion featuring interactive games, toothbrushing demonstrations for seniors and a costume competition while also providing samples to visitors who interacted with the SL official Facebook page. The 300 seniors who visited the event enjoyed learning about oral care habits
As part of the company’s efforts to promote preventive dentistry,* SL has been conducting Oral Health Day once a year since 2018 to create awareness among internal staff of the importance of good oral hygiene and gum disease prevention.
In 2024, the event was held at SL’s headquarters in Johor Bahru in collaboration with the Oral Health Division of the MOH under KP Kota Tinggi. Free dental check-ups and treatment were provided for SL Staff. 148 employees participated in the dental check-ups. SL will continue this annual activity in an effort to increase awareness of good oral hygiene practices among all its staff.
* Lion Group companies overseas are collaborating with dental professionals and retailers on initiatives based on the concept of preventive dentistry. Working together with dental professionals, Lion strives to increase awareness and understanding of oral care by sharing information on good oral care and practical tooth brushing methods. In addition, Lion promotes good oral care habits by providing products that suit individuals’ specific oral care needs through retailers and other markets.
From May to June 2024, the KODOMO Brand Team of Southern Lion’s marketing division distributed KODOMO brand oral care products and branded goods to children aged 3 to 6 at Government Pre Schools to raise awareness about the importance of regular toothbrushing habits from an early age. The program began with an online workshop for teachers.
After completing the workshop, teachers received KODOMO workbooks, teacher’s guides and posters as well as folders, samples and other materials provided by SL to distribute to the preschool children. Using these materials, the teachers then carried out the five-day tooth brushing instruction program. After the program ended, reports from the schools were collected. 30,055 children participated in the program, learning about oral care from their teachers.
From March 9 to 11, 2023, at the Berjaya Times Square Hotel, SL presented KODOMO, its oral care brand for children, to pediatric dental professionals and dental health care providers, forging strong relationships.
On May 12, 2023, at Aloft Sentral in Kuala Lumpur, SL partnered with Malaysia Society of Periodontology (MSP) to conduct an oral care campaign to inform middle- and upper-income consumers on the importance of gum care. 100 people, mostly of working age between 25 and 45, attended the promotional events. Three roadshows were held in major malls, reaching 50,000 people.
SL organized a program to raise oral care awareness in Selangor, Perak, during the Ramadan fasting period (May 2023). Targeting low- to middle-income families in Malaysia, samples were provided at such sites where people gather as sports plazas and food courts, with a total of 1,000 people participating.
SL collaborated with various dental academia and associations such as Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM), Universiti Malaya, Malaysian Dental Association (MDA), Nicotine Addiction Research and Collaboration Center (NARCC), etc., for various awareness activities through 2023. Educational pamphlets and product samples were distributed during these activities. A total of 2,420 people participated in these awareness activities.
From February 17 to 19, 2023, SL participated in the 30th MDA SCATE — Malaysian Dental Association Scientific Convention and Trade Exhibition, an exhibition organized by the Malaysian Dental Association.
Raising the oral care awareness of the people of Malaysia and instilling and establishing good oral care habits is very important. 1,592 participants and dental professionals visited the exhibition. Participating in exhibitions such as this is a great opportunity for SL. The company will continue to strengthen its partnerships with dental professionals and promote activities related to preventive dentistry.
SL conducted gum checks and distributed samples of Systema brand products and educational pamphlets to members of middle-class households between the ages of 35 and 49 in Selangor and Penang states during October and November 2023. 200 participants took part in the program.
From August to September 2023, the KireiKirei Global Drawing My Bottle Sticker Drawing Contest was held at 18 elementary schools for first to fourth grade students. The contest was announced to school teachers as well as on the KireiKirei website and Facebook. After KireiKirei drawing stickers were distributed to participating elementary schools, students submit their drawn stickers to their homeroom teachers. Schools were asked to submit their top entries from each of the five grades. These five works from each school were then submitted for final judging, with SL awarding three prizes for excellence. The contest’s judging criteria are as follows:
The contest was a success, receiving 1,041 submissions out of 9,800 entries.
On October 6, 2023, SL participated in an event held at Majlis Bandar Raya Iskandar Puteri in Johor Bahru for a program with young parents with children aged two to four. SL conducted tooth brushing activities and demonstration of handwashing, accompanied by music and dance. The activity involved 500 toddlers and their parents.
On April 21, 2023, SL, in collaboration with Kota Tinggi Dental Clinic, Bandar Mas Dental Clinic and MARA Professional College, conducted an awareness campaign in Kota Tinggi’s Kempas Menang Community. The event, with a target age range of 4 to 40 years old, was held at the Kempas Menang Community Hall in Kota Tinggi to raise hygiene awareness.
The 50 participants enjoyed the activity and learned more on basic hygiene habits.
On April 21 and 22, 2024, SL, in cooperation with the local government and Gov Dental Clinics of the Mersing area near Johor Bahru, where thecompany's headquarters is located, held an exhibition, dental examinations and treatment, hygiene and health careactivities, sports, coloring, cooking and composing competitions, and rhythmic and tooth brushing instruction at a villagekindergarten. The children enjoyed learning basic hygiene habits such as washing their hands as well as washing their hair and clipping their nails. The venues, Pulau Tinggi and Orang Asli Village Labong, Mersing, were attended by 350 people of various ages, ranging from 4 to 40 years old.
From June 15 to 22, 2022, a campaign was held in SL’s cafeteria to raise employee awareness of recycling with the aim of achieving zero waste. Employees also brought in items they no longer use at home to turn them into gifts for those in need. During the campaign, 200 employees visited the cafeteria, raising environmental awareness.
To fulfill its corporate social responsibility, SL, as a hygiene product manufacturer, actively engages in social contribution activities, such as in-kind donations of hygiene-related products sold by the company.
| Date | September 1, 2024 |
|---|---|
| Outside collaborators | Malaysian Red Crescent Society |
| Donations | 1,500 sets of grocery/goodie bags |
| Details | Provided grocery/goodie bags for distribution to B40* households during the festive season.
Created and provided hygiene kits for distribution to flood victims in preparation for expected flooding in the third quarter of 2024 and early 2025 * The B40 category represents the bottom 40% of household income in Malaysia, with per household income below RM4850. |
| Date | November 1, 2023 |
|---|---|
| Outside collaborators | SK Kangka Tebrau |
| Donations | Provided Smart TVs for elementary school students from 6 to 12 years old. |
| Details | In collaboration with school management, SL worked to create an environment conducive to education for elementary school students ages 6 to 12 in SK Kangka Tebrau on November 1, 2023. Smart TVs were installed so that elementary school students, teachers, and parents in the community could watch educational content featuring sanitary guidance and sports programs as well as participate in fun activities. SL employees also participated in this activity, interacting with 700 participants. |
| Date | April 11, 2023 |
|---|---|
| Outside collaborators | SK Kangka Tebrau |
| Donations | 150 sets of daily necessities to prepare for Eid (Hari Raya Aidilfitri) |
| Details | SL donated 150 sets of daily necessities for families with children between 4 and 12 years old in the B1 category among B40* level residents in collaboration with SK Kangka Tebrau. * The B40 category represents the bottom 40% of household income in Malaysia and consists of 3.16 million households with a monthly income below RM5,250. (as of December 31, 2023) |
| Date | October 24, 2023 |
|---|---|
| Outside collaborators | Sek Keb Kangka Tebrau |
| Donations | Cleanup of flooded school using SL products |
| Details | SL employees joined children and their teachers in a cleanup activity around a flooded elementary school, using SL products. In total, 770 participants, including SL employees, students and teachers, took part in the activity. |
