Faced with the daunting cost of vaccinating their populations against the coronavirus, Myanmar and Cambodia are raising money through donations.

Donors in Cambodia have contributed over US$56 million (S$74 million) since last month, according to Radio Free Asia. King Norodom Sihamoni and his mother, who gave US$1 million in total, were among them.

Myanmar, which launched its appeal this month, has received over US$10 million so far. One of the first donors in Myanmar was the military, which controls two of Myanmar's largest conglomerates. It stumped up one billion kyat (S$980,000).

Tycoon Chit Khine from construction and agriculture conglomerate Eden Group donated two billion kyat, while Myanmar's Islamic Religious Affairs Council chipped in with over one billion kyat, according to Irrawaddy news outlet.

Over in Cambodia, Malaysian gaming mogul Chen Lip Keong, chief executive officer of NagaCorp, donated US$5 million to the vaccine drive. The Hong Kong-listed NagaCorp runs Cambodia's largest casino complex, NagaWorld.

The Royal Group's Mr Kith Meng contributed US$3 million with his wife, while Dr Pung Kheav Se, chairman of Canadia Bank, donated the same amount, according to the Khmer Times.

Prime Minister Hun Sen has thanked the philanthropists in letters, writing that Dr Chen's contribution "will always be remembered in the history of the people of Cambodia".

Tan Hui Yee