SAMEE Group’s approach to human capital management is grounded in the principles of fairness, transparency, and longterm career development. We recognise that our people are our most valuable asset, and we are committed to creating a workplace where every employee feels valued, empowered, and equipped to succeed. Our human capital strategy is designed to support workforce resilience, enhance operational effectiveness, and contribute to long term business sustainability.
Our Group-level HR framework provides standardisation across Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand, while maintaining flexibility to adapt to local labour market dynamics and cultural contexts. This balanced approach allows us to align global best practices with local relevance, ensuring consistency in policies while supporting workforce diversity and inclusion.
To strengthen our talent pipeline and contribute to national development goals, SAMEE Group actively partners with local polytechnics, vocational institutions, government agencies, and industrial training providers. These collaborations not only support youth development but also ensure that our workforce remains equipped with future-ready skills.
SAMEE Group continued to refine its talent strategy by implementing structured local and foreign worker recruitment protocols aligned with the RBA Code of Conduct. We also scaled up learning access through digital tools, strengthened career development frameworks, and implemented mechanisms to better understand and respond to employee expectations.
We are committed to creating a dynamic, inclusive, and future-ready workplace where employees at all levels feel empowered, valued, and connected to the Group’s long-term vision. In FY2025, we implemented a broad spectrum of initiatives focused on deepening engagement, enhancing transparency, and reinforcing our talent development and retention strategies. Employee engagement is not transactional but transformative, fostering not just satisfaction but commitment, belonging, and a shared sense of purpose. The strong performance in this year’s engagement survey validates our efforts to attract, develop, and retain a resilient and motivated workforce across all operations.
In FY2025, SAMEE Group made significant strides in strengthening employee development, engagement, and retention across our operations in Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. We continue to build a work culture centred on inclusivity, merit-based progression, and long-term career support. To reinforce employee development, 100% of our employees received regular performance and career development reviews in FY2025 through the standardized Employee Appraisal Form, which is distributed internally. These reviews provide an opportunity to identify strengths, set development goals, and align individual contributions with the company’s strategic objectives.
By embedding human capital development into our organisational DNA, SAMEE Group builds a skilled, motivated, and future-ready workforce that drives innovation, supports business continuity, and upholds our long-term sustainability ambitions.
Contractors and temporary staff made up 16% of the total workforce. We successfully hired new employees, while experiencing a turnover of 450 employees, primarily among those aged below 30 years old, reflecting industry trends among younger talent segments. SAMEE Group continues to promote inclusive hiring practices. We will continue to enhance our tracking mechanisms for the composition of our total workforce, including contractors and temporary staff.
Turnover was tracked closely for permanent employees by category:
• Management: 25 employees
• Exempt staff: 148 employees
• Non-exempt staff: 277 employees (on valid work visas)
Retention remained strong for critical technical roles, supported by enhanced onboarding frameworks and opportunities for cross-functional exposure. SAMEE Group also prioritised internal promotions and local hiring, maintaining institutional knowledge and ensuring workforce continuity.
To foster stronger employee engagement, SAMEE Group implemented a variety of staff bonding and appreciation initiatives, including:
• Annual Team Building events and Quarterly Bonding Sessions
• Long-Term Service Awards, Festive Celebrations, and the popular Fruit Fiesta @ Durian Party
• Employee Appreciation Dinners across key manufacturing sites
These initiatives significantly contributed to team cohesion and helped SAMEE Group maintain high employee engagement levels, with especially positive feedback from non-exempt staff.
SAMEE Group also prioritised future talent development through a range of community and education initiatives:
• Expanded the Titian Harapan (Bridge of Hope) Programme which provides financial aid and sponsorship programmes for 307 underprivileged students, including employees’ children and local youth.
• The Vocational College Sponsorship Programme included up to 12 months of sponsorship for final-year students, minimum 6-month internships and employment (subject to terms).
To further strengthen our STEM outreach, SAMEE Group actively participated in YES! Rock the School Mega Pulau Pinang 2024, engaging with over 450 students and 150 educators through career talks and hands-on demos. The event was coorganised by TalentCorp, USM, and key ministries, and supported by dignitaries such as the Governor of Penang and the Minister of Human Resources.
A key FY2025 milestone was the SAMEE Group and Academia Strategic Alliance MOU Signing Ceremony, held on 24 October 2024 at SAM Aviatron. The alliance formalised collaboration with six academic institutions (USM, UTeM, TAR UMT, ILP Perai, PSP, and PSDC) focusing on R&D, knowledge sharing, and structured talent pipeline development. The event was officiated by SAMEE COO, Eric Kong, and marked a major step forward in SAMEE Group’s efforts to bridge academia and industry.
SAMEE Group recognises that long-term business resilience is inherently tied to the well-being of the communities in which we operate. In FY2025, our community investment strategy was guided by a dual commitment: to uplift underserved populations through targeted financial support, and to activate employee participation in meaningful volunteer initiatives. These efforts exemplify our role as a purpose-driven organisation committed to shared prosperity, social inclusion, and education equity.
In FY2025, SAMEE Group invested a total of RM125,550 in Malaysia and THB 240,000 in Thailand (~RM31,500 equivalent), benefitting 307 underprivileged students and 1 school through direct financial assistance and structured education programmes. Our flagship SAM Titian Harapan programme in Malaysia and vocational sponsorships in Thailand are core to our long-term goal of nurturing future-ready talent and breaking cycles of disadvantage. As part of SAMEE Group’s commitment to inclusive growth and community empowerment, the Group has undertaken a range of education-focused initiatives that support both internal and external stakeholders. Through the SAM Titian Harapan programme, the Group continued to ease the financial burden on employees while fostering a culture of academic excellence. Through this programme, a total of RM57,350 was disbursed to support 207 primary and secondary school students, primarily through Back-to-School Assistance, the presentation of Academic Excellence Awards and Valueadded Achievement Awards. These efforts are designed not only to alleviate cost-of-living pressures but also to cultivate a high-performance culture within the workforce.
Beyond internal support, the Group extended its commitment to education through targeted community outreach initiatives in Malaysia and Thailand. A total of RM53,800 was channelled to six external schools in Penang, enabling 84 students from low-income households to benefit from academic excellence incentives and Back-to-School Assistance. In support of technical education, the Group invested RM14,400 to sponsor six diploma students at Politeknik Seberang Perai, contributing to the development of a skilled workforce aligned with Malaysia’s technical and engineering needs. Internationally, SAMEE’s outreach extended to Thailand, where THB 180,000 (~RM23,500) was allocated to fund 10 students enrolled in Higher Vocational Certificate programmes, enhancing access to vocational education. Furthermore, the Group contributed THB 60,000 (~RM8,000) to the “Colouring Your Dreams” initiative at the Wat Arun Rangsi School, aimed at improving learning environments while actively engaging SAMEE employees through volunteerism. These initiatives reflect SAMEE Group’s strategic focus on social investment, aligning with its EESG priorities and reinforcing its role as a responsible corporate citizen dedicated to sustainable community development and educational advancement.
In parallel with financial contributions, employee engagement was further enhanced through structured Corporate Social Responsibility (“CSR”) programmes, encouraging staff to give back to society. In FY2025, employees contributed a total of 1,532 hours to CSR activities across three key initiatives: Charity Lunches, Mangrove Planting and STEM Educational Program.
These volunteer programmes foster a strong EESG culture internally while delivering tangible benefits to local communities. The mangrove planting initiative, for example, contributes to coastal resilience and ecosystem protection, while the STEM program reflects our commitment to quality education and workforce empowerment.
By embedding social impact into our economic value distribution framework, SAMEE Group not only fulfils its corporate responsibilities but also builds long term community trust, operational resilience, and regional talent capacity.
