Wider mobility options now available for elderly and vulnerable needing daily assistance
KUALA LUMPUR, 3 August 2021 – Malaysians – especially those living in the Klang Valley, who were hoping that the MCO would soon be lifted, had their hopes crushed by the surging case numbers in the past couple of weeks, hitting a record of 17,786 on 31 July 2021[1] although Director General of Health Tan Sri Noor Hisham Abdullah had warned of this previously[2].
For those of us worried about the wellbeing of our elderly and vulnerable loved ones living across district and state lines, we may see a silver lining in the Ministry of Health’s data showing that admission rates among fully-vaccinated people above 60 years, as well as among people with comorbidities and persons with disabilities are declining[3] with unvaccinated people making up the majority of hospitalisations and overall cases[4]. Thus, it is more crucial than ever to keep up vaccination rates at the promising pace Malaysia has achieved, in order to get the infection rate under control[5]. We cannot afford for anyone to be missing vaccination appointments due to mobility issues, especially the most vulnerable segments of the population.
But for those who are not able to accompany their elderly or vulnerable loved ones for their vaccination appointment, what can be done? This is where the collaboration between SOCAR Mobility Asia and Teman Malaysia comes in. Teman Malaysia is a social enterprise that provides quality, safe and personalised care and companionship services for older or vulnerable Malaysians. Their services, which include accompanying the elderly or infirm to medical appointments, treatment sessions, and Covid-19 vaccinations; home visits to ensure everything is well; and even customised activities; have already seen positive results in our ageing society[6].
“At SOCAR Mobility Asia, we believe that Malaysians can achieve more together, as reflected in our “Malaysia Can Overcome” campaign aimed at providing safe and affordable mobility to the Rakyat. In this spirit, we are not only committed to providing flexible mobility options to help Malaysians improve daily life, but are also collaborating with other businesses and organisations to serve existing needs in the community. We are excited to team up with Teman Malaysia as their transportation partner, as their work is invaluable in helping elderly and vulnerable members of the community achieve greater freedom of movement in their daily life. Through this partnership, they will be able to reach their destination safely in a private and sanitised drive, with our SOCAR and TREVO vehicles. In tough times, it is important for everyone to contribute our individual strengths to help our fellow Malaysians. Together, we can overcome,” said Leon Foong, Group CEO of SOCAR Mobility Asia.
“Empowering the elderly and vulnerable through our Temanions by providing emotional support and assistance for their daily living has been an important motivator for us at Teman Malaysia. For the past two months, with the extension of the MCO and travel restrictions, many children are unable to assist their elderly parents who are living alone and in another state, including accompanying them for their vaccination appointments. This is where our team of 94 Temanions can make a difference through our services. Through this partnership with SOCAR Mobility Asia, we can now offer expanded mobility options to complement our services – ultimately further empowering the elderly and vulnerable members of the community,” added Ezzati Nasir, CEO of Teman Malaysia.
Foong said SOCAR Mobility Asia is also inviting the Rakyat to reach out if they need assistance in areas where SOCAR and TREVO can lend a hand, by contacting SOCAR and TREVO on Facebook.
The partnership between SOCAR Mobility Asia and Teman Malaysia will enable Temanions to use special vouchers offering 50% off SOCAR bookings capped at RM50, and 60% off TREVO bookings, capped at RM250, creating savings which will then be passed on to Teman Malaysia’s clients. Beginning 1st of August, Temanions can make a booking on SOCAR from as low as RM4.45 per hour for use of a Perodua Axia, by applying the voucher code, while they can also get 60% off bookings on TREVO for a minimum 3-day booking. SOCAR and TREVO bookings can be made in the Klang Valley, Penang, Johor Bharu, Kota Kinabalu and Melaka while Teman Malaysia services are available in the Klang Valley, Johor Bahru and Kota Tinggi, Penang and Seremban. Assistance for Covid-19 appointments start at RM70 for two hours.
Here’s how it works:
Step 1: Make a booking for Teman Malaysia’s services through their website: https://www.temanmalaysia.com/service/.
Step 2: Request the assigned Temanion to book a SOCAR or TREVO vehicle for use during the assigned tasks, according to the duration of the services.
Step 3: The Temanion will be able to apply their assigned promo code provided by SOCAR Mobility Asia to Teman Malaysia, to get the 50% discount for SOCAR and 60% discount for TREVO. The discount will be reflected in the final bill to the client, which itemises transportation costs.
Step 4: The client can enjoy a safe and sanitised private drive with the Temanion.
For more information, visit SOCAR’s website at https://socar.my/, TREVO’s website at https://trevo.my/ and Teman Malaysia’s website at https://www.temanmalaysia.com/
[1] Bernama, 31 July 2021, COVID: New cases in Malaysia hit record high of 17,786
[2] The Star Online, 13 July 2021, Covid-19: Cases expected to increase over a week or two, says Health DG
[3] Bernama, 14 July 2021, No plans yet to mix and match vaccines due to lack of data – Health DG
[4] Free Malaysia Today, 26 July 2021, 92% of new Covid-19 cases were not vaccinated, says Noor Hisham
[5] New Straits Times Online, 11 July 2021, Malaysia’s vaccination rate exceeds many others, including the UK
[6] Department of Statistics Malaysia, 27 May 2021, Demographic Statistics First Quarter 2021, Malaysia
