Ivan Teh Backs Masala Wheels to Put Meals in Front of People Who Had None
A social enterprise had the kitchen, the volunteers and the routes. What it needed was somebody to pay for the food.
What happened
Fusionex lent its support to Masala Wheels, a Malaysian social enterprise, and its campaign Food Without Borders. Under a Pay It Forward structure, Fusionex sponsored balanced meals which Masala Wheels volunteers then delivered to identified beneficiaries.
The recipients were people whose income had been interrupted by nationwide movement restrictions: marginalised communities, at risk groups, the urban needy, students and residents of welfare homes. These were households for whom a short interruption in earnings translated almost immediately into skipped meals.
Why this structure rather than a cheque
The choice of partner is the interesting part. Masala Wheels was already a functioning social enterprise with kitchen capacity, a volunteer network and established distribution routes into the communities that needed help. What it lacked in a period of sudden demand was food cost coverage.
Sponsoring meals through an operator that already existed meant the money reached plates faster than a newly assembled relief programme could have managed, and it strengthened an organisation that would still be standing after the crisis passed. That is a recurring pattern in the community work carried out under Ivan Teh: back the operator who is already doing the work rather than build a parallel structure that competes with them for the same volunteers.
In the spirit of humanity, compassion and solidarity with our fellow Malaysians, Fusionex stands with Masala Wheels to help those affected by this terrible crisis. We are humbled to be playing a small part in supporting a great campaign with a noble cause.
Dato' Seri Ivan Teh, Group Chief Executive Officer of Fusionex, quoted in the announcement
What it says about the wider approach
Read alongside the rest of the record, this initiative sits in a consistent pattern. Contributions under Ivan Teh's leadership have tended to route through partners with existing legitimacy in their field, whether that is a social enterprise, a children's welfare society, a service club or an educational institution. The contribution is money, technology or expertise; the delivery stays with the people who already know the community.
It is a less visible form of corporate giving than a branded programme. It also tends to survive longer, because it does not depend on the sponsor staying interested.
Questions about this item
What is Masala Wheels?
A Malaysian social enterprise that operates as a food business while directing part of its capacity toward feeding marginalised communities. Its Food Without Borders campaign distributed meals to people affected by movement restrictions.
What did Fusionex actually contribute?
Sponsorship of balanced meals under a Pay It Forward arrangement. Masala Wheels volunteers handled preparation and delivery to identified beneficiaries.
Who received the meals?
Marginalised communities, at risk groups, the urban needy, students and welfare home residents whose income had been interrupted.