Three Causes One Goal
Nariza Petra is not one to sit easy. Involved in worthwhile causes, she shares with ANEESA ALPHONSUS what got her started and how she intends to keep going.

It is 11am on a Sunday and Datin Nariza Hajjar Hashim sends a message, which says she’ll be accompanied by three of her children for the interview session. Less than 10 minutes later, she arrives with three grown children in tow – a 21-year-old and 19-year-old twins to be exact. Looking at her, one would be forgiven for thinking that when she said children, it was assumed that they would be aged 12 and below. Just for the record, she is mother to five children with the youngest aged nine.

Nariza is Executive Director of PETRA Perdana Berhad and Patron of P.S. The Children. She also works very closely with the SPCA as its ambassador in advocating responsible pet ownership through spaying and neutering via a Stray Free Malaysia program. In addition to this, Nariza also handles Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes for her husband’s company which champions the environment.

Her energy is infectious and her style is engaging, sincere and unpretentious – a combination that works great for the many philanthropic causes she is currently involved in. But today however, Nariza speaks of the three causes that are closest to her heart. “We read about missing and abused children almost on a daily basis in the newspapers, and these are the cases that are reported. There so many more that have gone unheard and unrecorded. Something can be done to make it safer for these children, and the first step is by creating awareness. One of the best ways to do this is by incorporating a child safety awareness program in schools nationwide which P.S. The Children is currently lobbying for,” she explains.