Kuala Lumpur, June 29th 2011 – Ricoh (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd contributed a cheque amounting to RM28,000 to support relief efforts in aid of the earthquake and tsunami victims in Japan through the Malaysian Red Crescent.
General Manager of Business Operations of Ricoh Malaysia Peter Wee, who presented the contribution to Malaysian Red Crescent secretary general, YBhg. Datuk Haji Dr. Nordin bin Haji Abdul Razak, said the donation was in line with Ricoh’ s unwavering commitment to humanitarian needs.
“We realised there was a crucial need to take action and extend a hand to support Japan when the double tragedies of an earthquake and tsunami hit,” said Mr. Wee.
He explained that Ricoh’s founder, Mr Kiyoshi Ichimura, had pioneered a concept similar to the modern practise of corporate social responsibility by establishing a corporate philosophy known as the “Spirit of Three Loves”.
This philosophy encouraged all employees to adopt the value system of “loving your neighbour, your country and your work”, in order to create a social and environmental balance in every aspect of Ricoh’s business.
The amount of RM28, 000 was collected as a result of four successful initiatives planned and run by dedicated employees.
Starting off the campaign on 1st April 2011 was a donation drive, providing all Ricoh employees an opportunity to contribute any amount towards the Japan Relief Fund.
Apart from that, an internal green initiative called “It Pays to Be Green” Campaign was launched on 1st May 2010. The main objective was to encourage employees to save electricity and cut down the usage of paper. All accumulated savings in reduction are then channelled to the relief. Ricoh also set up a photography booth at the recent Maybank Malaysian Open 2011 held from the 14th to 17th April, where visitors were able to get their pictures taken for a small fee of RM10, which would then be donated to the fund.
Finally, at the recent Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair where Ricoh unveiled its Print-On-Demand technology, visitors were charged RM1 for each document printed using Ricoh’s Hotspot Printing. All proceeds from sales were channelled to the Japan Relief Fund Campaign.
During the cheque presentation ceremony at Ricoh headquarters, Mr Wee applauded the efforts and initiatives of Ricoh employees, as well as the supportive public for their participation in the donation drive.
“The funds collected will be used by the Malaysian Red Crescent for on-going provisions of immediate relief as well as for long-term recovery efforts for the affected population,” he said.
He said that Ricoh, already a leader in the office solutions industry, would strive to continue its far-reaching efforts to provide aide and support to countries and communities affected by disasters.
For more information on Ricoh’s humanitarian and CSR initiatives, visit www.ricoh.com.my