An ICI Dulux™ Community Project

PULAU PINANG, 4th November 2009 – ICI Paints (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd,  Paints (an AkzoNobel company) is providing premium quality  Dulux™   paint for the preservation of the glory of numerous historical and cultural sites in the island state of Penang.  This announcement was made at the recently launched Hard Rock Hotel at Batu Ferringhi where Dulux™   paints were also used in the colouring of this latest landmark by the sea.

AkzoNobel
Based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, AkzoNobel, the world’s largest paint and coatings company and manufacturer of Dulux™ manufactures and supplies a wide range of paints, coatings and specialty chemicals - pro forma 2008 revenue totaled €15.4 billion. Its 60,000 employees - who are based in more than 80 countries - are passionate about developing sustainable answers for its customers and proactively adding colours to people’s lives in a myriad of ways.

Heritage
AkzoNobel products can now be found everywhere from the Beijing Olympic arenas and Sydney Harbor Bridge to, quite possibly, the house next door to you with Dulux™. AkzoNobel which acquired Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) Paints last year, is closely involved in Malaysia’s community development and holds a prominent position in the decorative paint industry. ICI (Malaya) Ltd was formed in 1930 and in 1959, due to increasing demand for its colourful and quality paint, ICI Paints (Malaya) was incorporated and the first batch of deco paints were manufactured by our own Malaysians. ICI and Dulux™ have since grown to be household names.

The global sustainability programme by ICI Paints will now have a local flavour to it signifying a collaborative effort by both an international corporate giant and the local state government to preserve the many historical buildings of Penang, now a UNESCO sanctioned World Heritage City.

“There aren’t too many of these historical sites in the world anymore. Some wither away while others lose their charm simply due to lack of attention and preservation,” said CW Goh, Managing Director of ICI Paints Malaysia describing the erosion of heritage sites around the world today. “We believe that such priceless assets have many stories to tell especially to the future generations. We actively commit ourselves towards architectural preservations to keep the glory of these priceless buildings alive.”

This project is in line with ICI Dulux’s mission of “Adding Colour to People’s Lives”. Already there are numerous places around the world that have enjoyed immense success from this preservation programme by the leading paint manufacturer. ICI Paints emphasized that they take each preservation process very seriously by using the highest quality of paint, the right mix of colours and tones in order to maintain the historical integrity of the preservation sites.

“As Malaysians, we are very lucky because we have been blessed with magnificent sights of historical masterpieces at our doorstep. Being sanctioned by UNESCO is a big achievement for all Penangites but most important is how we continue to maintain our cultural sites so that everyone from near and far can enjoy them,” commented Yang Berhormat Tuan Law Heng Kiang, Penang State Minister for Tourism Development and Culture.

Driving community programmes on the Corporate Social Responsibility platform as well as corporate governance forms an integral part of the company’s holistic sustainability agenda. ICI paints also believe in doing a lot of community programme giving back to the community.

“We take great pride in adding colour to people’s lives,” says Jeremy Rowe, Managing Director AkzoNobel Decorative Paints South East Asia & Pacific (SEAP) “We all know that colour plays an important role in lifting spirits and moods, as well as making a vital contribution to the development of the community we live and work in, particularly in these tough economic times. Therefore we hope to inspire the public with the difference colour has made in their environment.”

The ICI Dulux community project is slated to commence beginning January 2010.