Staying Honest

The Biji-Biji Initiative Story

Formed in 2013, a group of 4 young visionaries set out to change the sustainability scene in Malaysia through progressive ideas, changing how people look at waste and sustainability issues.

What started in a humble apartment and then a house in Jalan Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur grew rapidly due to persistence, grit, amazing team members, and an even more supportive Malaysian network. We had a head start with the Entrepreneurs for Good competition by the British Council, then a corporate gift order of 2000 banner bags in 2013 and clinching the first prize at Alliance Bank's SME Innovation Challenge Award in 2014.

What was once a disruptive group of passionate young volunteers has grown into a full-fledged team of permanent staff members from diverse nationalities and backgrounds, based in Publika, Malaysia’s artistic & creativity hub in the heart of KL.

Fair Wages

Inequality is at its worst now more than ever, and recognising that everyone deserves fair wages is something we are very committed to.
To address this ever-growing problem, we have a salary cap of 5 times between the highest and lowest earners. This ratio will be constantly reviewed to reflect the changing needs for different skill levels and competencies as the organisation grows. Reviewed ratios will be made known to all Biji-biji Initiative members, as well as the public. Salary information is based on the salary band in the Salary Scale.

Open-Book Finance

Transparency and trust, these are two values that is a key factor to unlocking human collaboration.

Every member of the Biji-biji Initiative team has access to information on every project which includes its value, total budget and breakdown as per our Open Book finance policies and procedures. Beyond allowing employees to view the company’s financial statements, this policy helps them understand the link between financial outcomes and the operations that create the numbers.