FedEx Powers Up Orang Asli (Indigenous) Village in Perak With Solar Energy

Federal Express Corporation (FedEx), one of the world's largest express transportation companies collaborated with local non-profit SOLS (Science of Life Studies) Foundation to install home solar systems in Kampung Kepayang, an Orang Asli village located in Batang Padang, Perak. The initiative will provide reliable electricity to 15 households that previously had no access to stable power.

Kampung Kepayang is home to 73 residents from the Semai community and is located approximately 153 kilometers 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.

"Access to reliable electricity is fundamental to everyday life and we are pleased to work with SOLS Foundation to bring this to the community in Kampung Kepayang," said Tien Long Woon, managing director, FedEx Malaysia. "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."

On deployment day, 23 FedEx employees volunteered in the village and were divided into four teams, with each team assigned to four houses. The volunteers installed batteries, tube lights and a motion-sensing security lamp in each home, while the SOLS Foundation technical team handled the rooftop solar panels. Each system includes a 141.52Wh lithium-ion battery and a 50-watt solar panel, providing up to 19 hours of lighting on a single charge and giving households reliable power for daily activities, schoolwork and night-time safety. As part of the program, volunteers also conducted baseline interviews with the head of each household, gathering 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 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.

"Kampung Kepayang is one of many Orang Asli villages in Malaysia still without consistent access to electricity and every deployment like this one moves us closer to closing that gap," said Danutcha Catriona Singh, managing director, SOLS Foundation. "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."

FedEx Malaysia has a long-standing track record of partnering with local non-profit organizations to support underserved communities. In previous years, FedEx collaborated with Treat Every Environment Special (TrEES) to rebuild the perimeter wall of an Orang Asli kindergarten in Pulau Carey, Selangor, using ecobricks made from plastic waste. FedEx has also supported TrEES on an urban vegetable garden in the Klang Valley that produces around 700 meals per month for underserved communities, while its long-running FedEx/Junior Achievement International Trade Challenge (FedEx/JA ITC) has equipped more than 9,900 Malaysian students with business and entrepreneurial skills since 2008.

Throughout its three decades in Malaysia, FedEx has been committed to positively impacting customers, the market and its communities. This program is part of the FedEx Cares global community engagement program, underpinned by the company's culture value of "Committing to Do Good." It also reflects FedEx's broader sustainability vision under Priority Earth, the company's initiative to achieve carbon-neutral operations globally by 2040 and its commitment to connecting people and possibilities around the world responsibly and resourcefully. Progress in key areas of FedEx's corporate social responsibility initiatives, including pillars such as Community Engagement, Global Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Logistics, can be found in the latest FedEx Cares Report.