PETALING JAYA, 21 July 2008 – Scope International, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Standard Chartered Plc., United Kingdom, has helped to restore sight to two Malaysian teenagers, victims of the Keratoconus eye disorder which causes blindness. Vekineswaree a/p Jayakumar, 18, and Saravanan a/l Subramaniam, 15, who successfully underwent Corneal Keratoplasty surgery at the Tun Hussein Onn Eye Hospital (THONEH) in June 2008, are the first beneficiaries of Scope International’s Keratoconus Fund. The Fund was established through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with THONEH in December 2007. Scope International contributes RM40,000 on an annual basis towards the Fund.

Arif Siddiqui, CIO of Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia, and Head, Global Shared Services Centre Kuala Lumpur, said, “We are very happy to be able to make a difference in the community, to restore sight to young people, who still have a long future ahead. The Keratoconus Fund is unique as it is made up of personal pledges by Scope International staff, who contribute in cash, or credit money directly into a specified bank account. Money collected from drink vending machines in certain Scope International offices also go into this Fund.”

Dato Dr. Veera Ramani, Medical Director, Tun Hussein Onn National Eye Hospital, said, “In recent years, there has been a steady increase in Keratoconus cases. Many people are still unaware of this disease and its physical symptoms, which can cause the loss of sight. We are pleased that through this Fund, Scope International has generated public awareness on Keratoconus and will help fund Corneal Keratoplasty surgery for more Malaysians to come.” Keratoconus causes progressive thinning of the cornea and is prevalent in children, teenagers and adults in their 20s. The eye disorder arises when the middle of the cornea thins and gradually bulges outward, forming a rounded cone shape. This abnormal curvature changes the cornea's refractive power, producing moderate to severe astigmatism and blurriness of vision. In severe cases, permanent loss of sight is experienced. The Keratoconus Fund initiative is part of Standard Chartered’s global initiative ‘Seeing Is Believing’ which aims to restore the sight of 10 million people suffering from curable blindness world-wide. By 2010, Standard Chartered will have achieved this objective through 35 projects across 17 countries.

The remarkable success of the first phase of this project has given rise to the second phase, “Seeing is Believing – A New Vision” which seeks to invest USD 20 million in sustainable eye-care services for 20 million people across 20 cities. Standard Chartered will work in partnership with leading eyecare NGOs to fund the development of sustainable eye-care services in less-advantaged areas of 20 cities, giving poor, marginalized populations access to cataract surgery, preventative treatment and specialised medical interventions