ON a humid December evening last month, a group of office workers found themselves doing something far removed from their usual routines.
Instead of desk chairs and computer screens, they stood over large pots of steaming food, carefully packing meals into containers.
Later, they would walk through parts of Kuala Lumpur many passers-by hurry past — Jalan Imbi, Medan Tuanku and Pudu — handing those meals to people who needed them. For the 25 employees who volunteered with Kechara Soup Kitchen that night, it was not just about serving food. It was about seeing, listening and understanding.
Over the course of a few hours, the volunteers prepared, packed and distributed 365 sets of warm meals, reaching individuals and families experiencing hardship. Guided by Kechara’s coordinators, they learned how food distribution works — not just logistically, but emotionally. The aim is always to preserve dignity, offer consistency and build trust.
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For many of the recipients, a hot meal meant more than sustenance. It meant a moment of comfort. A pause. A brief human connection.
This initiative, aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals on No Poverty and Zero Hunger, was one of two staff-led volunteering activities carried out by employees of Hektar Asset Management Sdn Bhd, the manager of Hektar Real Estate Investment Trust (Hektar REIT), last month.
While corporate social responsibility programmes often feel distant or abstract, these efforts were deliberately hands-on. Instead of writing cheques, participants were asked to show up in person.
EVERYDAY CHOICES MATTER
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Just a week earlier, on Dec 13, 2025, another group of Hektar staff had swapped city streets for coastal shores. At Kuala Selangor, 50 volunteers gathered early in the morning for a beach clean-up organised in collaboration with myCleanBeach.
Armed with gloves, sacks, and a lot of patience, they began scouring the sand. And what they found was sobering.
By the end of the session, the group had removed 498.5kg of waste from the shoreline. This included 292.4kg of general waste, 134.1kg of plastic, 40kg of large discarded items, 24kg of tin and metal, and 8kg of glass. The numbers tell one story. The sights told another.
The clean-up was aligned with the UN goals on Climate Action and Life Below Water, but for those on the ground, it became something more personal. It sparked conversations about habits, convenience and responsibility — about how everyday choices, from packaging to disposal, quietly accumulate into environmental problems that feel overwhelming only when viewed at scale.
Both activities were part of Hektar REIT’s broader approach to sustainability, which places emphasis on participation rather than performance. Instead of treating ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) commitments as a checklist, the company has focused on encouraging employees to engage directly with the issues those acronyms represent.
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Executive director and chief executive officer of Hektar Asset Management, Zainal Iskandar described it simply: “Our sustainability commitment goes beyond our assets. It’s also about showing up for the communities we serve.”
He noted that whether it is supporting meal distribution efforts in the city or removing nearly 500kg of waste from the coastline, the intention is to make community engagement a regular, embedded part of how the organisation operates — not a once-a-year gesture.
LASTING IMPRESSION
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Sustainability often feels like an abstract concept, dominated by policy papers, reports and long-term targets. But on the ground, it looks like people crouching in the sand, pulling plastic out of seaweed. It looks like someone handing over a warm meal and receiving a quiet “thank you.”
It is unglamorous work. And that’s precisely why it resonates. For many of the volunteers, the experiences left a lasting impression.
As organisations across industries grapple with how to “do good” in ways that are not performative, these initiatives offer a reminder: impact does not always require grand gestures. Sometimes, it begins with people stepping out of their comfort zones, getting their hands dirty and listening.
In the months ahead, Hektar REIT plans to continue building on these efforts through practical, community-focused programmes that encourage employee involvement and deliver tangible outcomes.
But for those who were there in December, the memories already linger. The smell of warm food in takeaway containers. The weight of trash bags dragging across sand. The quiet realisation that change -real change — often starts small, local and deeply human.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
