KUALA LUMPUR, 1 AUGUST 2022 – With signs pointing to the fact that the fight against COVID-19 is far from over, Malaysia’s favourite home improvement retailer is once again coming to the aid of undergraduates with its #DIY4Universiti “Sentiasa Berwaspada, Tanggungjawab Bersama”initiative. The retailer is on an ongoing mission to distribute 85,000 free test kits to local universities in Peninsular Malaysia, educating the undergraduates on COVID-19 awareness to keep themselves and the university community safe.
Currently, the initiative has been carried out across six universities, namely Universiti Malaya (UM) Kuala Lumpur, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Shah Alam, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) Bangi, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) Sungai Long, UNITAR International University (UNITAR), Petaling Jaya and International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Gombak.
The #DIY4Universiti initiative is one in a series of collaborations between MR D.I.Y. and higher learning institutions, which was first launched in October 2021 to help undergraduates re-settle into campus life following the prolonged pandemic lockdown. Previous editions of the programme include the distribution of sanitisers, face masks and other aid to students in Universiti Malaya and Universiti Tuanku Abdul Rahman in October and November 2021 respectively, as well as the distribution of cash aid to 12,000 Universiti Malaya students in November-December 2021.
Announcing the rollout of the programme, MR D.I.Y. Group’s Head of Marketing, Alex Goh, said, “#DIY4Universiti “Sentiasa Berwaspada, Tanggungjawab Bersama” aims to remind undergraduates about the importance of testing regularly to keep themselves and the university community safe, and to make testing accessible to them. With the COVID-19 virus still prevalent, it is important that everyone stay alert and not become complacent.
“Besides providing undergraduates with free test kits, MR D.I.Y. is also educating them by demonstrating how to use the test kits correctly, so that students can stay safe and keep learning. This is an absolute priority to ensure the country remains on the road to recovery and is also part of our many efforts over the past two years to ensure that Malaysians are equipped with affordable and accessible personal protective equipment,” he added.
Goh said MR D.I.Y is set to distribute more test kits to four other local universities across the country in October 2022, when students return to campuses. Universities under the next phase of the programme include Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) Serdang, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur and Skudai, Johor), UTAR (Kampar), and Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM), Nilai.
Goh also thanked the administrative team from the universities for ensuring the effective distribution of the test kits.
MR D.I.Y first started retailing test kits in January 2022, and has since become a dependable resource for Malaysians seeking affordable test kits. The retailer is currently retailing three ‘Mix & Match’ test kits consisting of nasal and saliva test kits at RM10 at MR. D.I.Y., MR. TOY, and MR. DOLLAR stores nationwide until 31 August 2022.
#DIY4 University is part of a series of initiatives by MR D.I.Y Group to ensure communities in need, receive the help and support they need through the pandemic. Besides the #DIY4Universiti pillar, the retailer also initiated #DIY4Sungai, which aims to help rehabilitate and restore riverfront areas to ensure they are ready to receive visitors again, as a means of driving the tourism industry.
For more information, visit MR D.I.Y.’s website, www.mrdiy.com, e-commerce platform, www.mrdiy.com.my, and their social media channels, Facebook and Instagram.
