FedEx Malaysia, in collaboration with local non-profit Science of Life Studies (SOLS) Foundation, brought reliable, off-grid electricity to Kampung Kepayang, an Orang Asli village in Batang Padang, Perak.
The initiative provided reliable electricity to 15 Semai households that previously had no access to stable power.
Kampung Kepayang is home to 73 residents from the Semai community and is located about 153 km from Kuala Lumpur. The village has long depended on generators and candles for lighting and the new home solar systems will provide a reliable source of electricity to meet the community’s daily energy needs.
FedEx Malaysia managing director Woon Tien Long said that access to reliable electricity is fundamental to everyday life, emphasizing that it drives sustainable community development.
“This deployment reflects our ongoing commitment to sustainability and to the communities we serve in Malaysia and I am proud of our volunteers who made it possible,” he said.
On deployment day, 23 FedEx employees volunteered in the village to install the batteries, tube lights and security lamps in each home, while the SOLS Foundation technical team handled the rooftop panel installations
Each installation features a 50-watt roof solar panel and a 141.52Wh lithium-ion battery, providing up to 19 hours of lighting on a single charge and giving households reliable power for daily activities, schoolwork and night-time safety.
Volunteers also conducted baseline interviews with household heads to gather information on household profiles, current energy use and living conditions.
The data collected will help SOLS Foundation track the long-term impact of the solar home systems on the community’s quality of life.
SOLS Foundation managing director Danutcha Catriona Singh said many Orang Asli villages in Malaysia are still facing inconsistent power access and deployments like the home solar systems in Kampung Kepayang are vital for bridging Malaysia’s rural infrastructure gap.
“Through our Kampung Solar Project, we continue to bring solar home systems to low-income Orang Asli communities across the country and we thank FedEx for stepping up to support this deployment and for sending their volunteers to work alongside our team on the ground,” he said.
SOLS Foundation runs solar energy, education and skills development programs for rural and remote low-income communities across Malaysia.
Through its Kampung Solar Project, the organization has installed home solar systems in 1,633 homes across 45 Orang Asli villages in Peninsular Malaysia and more than 500 homes in 12 villages in Sabah, helping families save up to 80 percent on their energy costs.
FedEx Malaysia’s long-standing corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives demonstrate a strong commitment to uplifting underserved communities through its global FedEx Cares program.
These initiatives highlight a strong commitment to environmental sustainability, community food security, and youth empowerment across Malaysia.
In previous years, FedEx has collaborated with local environmental NGO Treat Every Environment Special (TrEES) on several high-impact community and sustainability projects, including indigenous kindergarten upgrades in Pulau Carey and urban community vegetable gardens in the Klang Valley, while its long-running FedEx/Junior Achievement International Trade Challenge has equipped more than 9,900 Malaysian students with business and entrepreneurial skills since 2008.
