Ink Newsletter | March & April 2016 Ink Newsletter | March 2015
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Pelikan Asia Sdn Bhd.
Ink Newsletter |March & April 2016
Editorial
Happy 178th anniversary! Pelikan officially established itself on 28th April 1838. To thrive for 178 years is something we should really be proud of. The anniversary is an important milestone for the brand and we wanted to commemorate the event with many celebratory marketing promotions around it. From Anniversary Sales for staff and customers at the Pelikan Store, to promotions on Facebook and Instagram, we are proud of this achievement. We had a soft launch of the new Professional Writing Instruments range, Stola by giving our Pelikan Malaysia social media followers a chance to be the first to own Stola through participating in the Pelikan anniversary contest on our Facebook and Instagram. Read on to know more about all this! This issue of Ink Newsletter is another bumper issue, combining all the news and happenings in the months of March and April. We have participated in many events
and held many discussions internally to plan for the entire year’s activities. The second quarter is also the quarter when our plans are taking shape and being executed; a busy and exciting time and it is reflected in the number of news we featured in the ‘In a Blink’ marketing news and ‘Wink’ staff news section. Last but not least, April is also Autism month. We are sharing something important in the General Article segment, on autism in our country. Please read and spread it to increase the awareness on Autism. Keep reading Ink, and again, happy 178th anniversary!
Phikyin Loo Yours sincerely,
In a Bl ts News/Even Marketing Isetan School Holiday
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rers Contest Real Adventu Presentation
Prize
Real Adventurers Colouring contest was held as part of the Pelikan ‘Back to School’ promotion 2015/16 and ran from 1 October 2015 until 31 January 2016. A total of 10 consolation winners and 3 main winners were awarded prizes worth over RM10,000 collectively. The prize giving ceremony for the winners was held at the Pelikan Store, The Gardens Mall on 19 March. Congratulations again to the first place winner, Ms. Cempaka bte Che Rose from Pahang, who received RM3,000 cash and RM500 worth of Pelikan products as the prize.
Gardens Club
Art Class
One of the special features of the Pelikan Store is its art class for children held weekly on weekends. It is a good way to promote the brand and Pelikan products by encouraging children and parents to use for art activities. In line with this strategy, Pelikan Store organised an art class exclusively for The Gardens Club members, an exclusive membership offered by The Gardens Mall to its most valued customers. The one-hour class with the Earth Hour theme was held on 19 March, where the children learned how to make and decorate their own Earth Hour lantern.
oes Dark
G Pelikan Store
Pelikan has always been a supporter of the Earth Hour campaign and Earth Hour 2016 was no different. On 19 March, from 8.30-9.30pm, Pelikan Store switched off non-essential lights in support of Earth Hour. Further, to help promote this good cause, Pelikan Store held a flash promotion during the hour by giving away a free Pelikan plush toy to customers who made a minimum purchase of RM30 and above. To learn more about Earth Hour, visit www.earthhour.org.
Karl Lagerfeld Kids Around’s Kids Launch
Pelikan was one of the sponsors for Kids Around’s Karl Lagerfeld Kids launch, which took place at The Gardens Mall on 17 March. Pelikan sponsored products for the door gift and prizes for lucky draw. Many local celebrities attended the launch and the event managed to get good media attention.
al
Internation 3rd Putrajaya Book Fair
For the first time, Pelikan took part in MPH’s 3rd Putrajaya International Book Fair (‘PIBF’) held at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre from 29 March to 3 April. The Pelikan booth displayed most of its school and office stationery as well as products from Geha and herlitz. All the products at the PIBF including Pelikan were greatly discounted to attract the visitors to the fair. Our Pelikan mascot also made its appearance at the Pelikan booth to the delight of the children over the weekend.
Sale MVCCR Flash
In conjunction with MVCCR 2016, Pelikan Store held a flash sale on 24 April for one day only. It was a storewide sale at 30% discount on all products except for FWI products and Porsche Design writing instruments. The flash sale drew many of the MVCCR participants and shoppers at The Gardens Mall who flocked to the Pelikan booth and the Pelikan Store that day.
ty Run
City Chari Mid Valle) y (MVCCR
The ‘Mid Valley City Charity Run 2016’ (MVCCR) was held on 24 April! Jointly organised by both The Gardens Mall and Mid Valley Megamall, the event was held in aid of the Malaysian Red Crescent (MRC). Pelikan as one of the sponsors was there to join in the fun! During the event, Pelikan had a booth located at the Ground Floor, The Gardens Mall offering fun art activities and games! Each activity/game was charged one MVCCR token. All proceeds went to MRC as the beneficiary of the event. The art activities held at the Pelikan booth were ‘Colouring with Pelikan’, Art Jamming’ and ‘Art with Pelikan’ while the games were ‘Spin the Wheel’ and Instagram Photo Booth. With the attractive activities, the crowd swarmed Pelikan booth especially when the ever popular Pelikan mascot made its appearance.
One of the attractions at Pelikan booth during MVCCR was the Instagram photo booth. The visitors had a lot of fun posing and taking photos at the photo booth with friends and family. Furthermore, they could upload the photos taken to their Instagram account with the hashtags #pelikan, #pelikan_ malaysia and #btsbestfriends2016 to enter Pelikan Instagram Photo Booth contest. Photos with the most likes will win the exclusive Pelikan Treasure Set and RM50 worth of Pelikan Store voucher. The contest ended at 10pm on 28 April and 5 winners were selected. The winners are @annaruthohhh, @dineshkohilen_10, @peiyunshiew, @yeechin521 and @ viviennecn. Congrats!
ary Promo FWI Annivers
April is Pelikan’s anniversary month! This year on 28 April, Pelikan turned 178 years old. We commemorated the anniversary by holding a promotion for all FWI products (also Porsche Design writing instruments) at Pelikan Store The Gardens Mall, Isetan (KLCC & The Gardens Mall), MO Shop Mandarin Oriental KL, and Kinokuniya KLCC. Under this promotion, any FWI purchased will be given a complimentary leather pouch worth RM178. The promotion was carried out from 1- 30 April.
ary 78th Annivers Celebratingst1agram with Stola on FB & In
The anniversary celebration continues on Pelikan Malaysia Facebook page and Instagram, while promoting the new Professional Writing range, Stola, in conjunction with our Anniversary. On Facebook, the Pelikan 178th Anniversary Quiz was held for 3 days from 27-29 April. 7 questions centered on Pelikan products were posted in the 3-day contest to an excellent response from Pelikan Malaysia Facebook followers. 7 Stola pens were given away as the prizes, much to the delight of the winners. On Instagram, a Tag & Win contest was held from 28 – 30 April. It’s a simple contest where participants were required to tag 5 friends at Pelikan’s Anniversary post. 5 winners was selected randomly and they will receive a Stola fountain pen each. Congratulations to all winners!
ersary Promo 178th Anniv Pelikan Store
Facebook Quiz winners :
Instagram Tag & Win winners :
Brian Wee Lew Jen Nee Srilakshmi Dola Carmen Hooi Qiyao Leong Ram Alajangi
@shuhaib91 @reyn_h @lss_augustine @kaiyang99 @thanesh_
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Pelikan Store hold a unique promotion for Pelikan‘s 178 Anniversary Celebration, offering a 17.8% discount on all items, started on 28 April until 2 May. It didn’t stop there, there’s an additional 10% discount on the final bill, for Pelikan members only! It was a great chance to stock up on your favorite Pelikan products (herlitz, Geha & Susy Card too!)
s:
re t Featu c u d o r P
Professional Writing - Stola Writing Instruments Stola is an innovative Pelikan writing instruments with a wholly personal touch. It’s all about the first impression with Stola. With its high-quality appearance, it is sure to impress at first glance - timeless, stylish and distinctive. A writing instrument that makes a lasting impression.
Introducing Stola The Stola range comes in 3 models. Practical aspects were taken into consideration right from the start, starting with the choice of materials. The barrel is made of lacquered brass. It gives the writing instrument additional weight, allowing it to sit comfortably in your hand. The caps and tops are made of aluminum, a well-designed counterbalance that facilitates “ease of writing”. Besides, it is the perfect material for highquality laser engraving.
Stola II – Young and Dynamic Are you looking for that special something? Try Pelikan’s first ballpoint pen topped with a stylus. Practical use meets our zeitgeist. After all, it is a matter of course for many people to carry a capacitive smartphone or tablet with them – both at work and on the go. Ballpoint : RSP RM58.30 Rollerball : RSP RM63.60 * (Prices shown are inclusive of GST)
The special clip design distinguishes itself by its standalone character with great recognition value: The clips nestle snugly around each pen. They are real eye-catchers that stand out from the crowd with their individual profile. All three new products in this range have this in common. Subtle differences can be found in the surface finishing and in the detailed visual implementation.
Stola I – Black is beautiful Why use many words when just three will do: Black is beautiful! The combination of matt and high-gloss black finishes lend the Stola I a high-quality character for a very attractive price. With this modern writing instrument, Pelikan has developed the ideal foundation for a successful start into the business world. Ballpoint : RSP RM53.00 Rollerball : RSP RM58.30 * (Prices shown are inclusive of GST)
Stola III – Sophisticated Radiance A certain elegance. The delicate, elegantly curved stainless steel clip is combined with a matt barrel have a multilayer varnish coating. This special surface finish not only shines, but has a shimmering depth to it as well – a range with a sophisticated radiance. It is a stylish gift that perfectly underscores that special occasion. Ballpoint : RSP RM68.90 Rollerball : RSP RM74.20 Fountain pen : RSP RM95.40 * (Prices shown are inclusive of GST)
Ink Newsletter | March & April 2016
Autism in Malaysia Article
April is Autism month. The world recognised 2nd of April every year as the Autism Awareness Day, encouraging Member States of the United Nations to take measures to raise awareness about children with autism throughout the world. It was designated by the United Nations General Assembly resolution “62/139. In Malaysia, we are still not doing enough when it comes to autism. The level of awareness on this matter is still comparatively low and part of the reasons for this is the myth that autism in this country is rare. This is simply not true. Read on to learn more!
How parents, teachers and doctors can really help autistic children Sheikh Aiman Najib is 16-years-old. He has sloping shoulders, curious dark eyes, and large ears. He fastidiously threads a bead through a needle and string, but stops suddenly to survey the classroom, swivelling his head around. “Pull, Aiman,” his teacher says, trying to capture his attention. “Bah bah,” he replies, staring down at the beaded blue flower, a simple cross stitch that teacher and pupil have been working on. The teenager is severely autistic, and cannot read, write, or speak. When he opens his mouth, a stream of gibberish flows out. He has been coming to the Nasom Vocational Centre in Jalan Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur since last year. “He can’t speak, but he communicates in his own way. He can follow basic instructions,” his father, Sheikh Azmir, says. The 50-year-old engineer is happy with the progress his son is making. “He has developed a lot since coming here,” Azmir says. “He is potty trained now.” Aiman was diagnosed with autism at Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (now UKM Medical Centre) at four. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a cluster of neurodevelopmental disorders that impairs verbal and non-verbal communication and social interaction. It manifests itself in repetitive behaviour, sensory issues, and sometimes cognitive delays. A doctor referred Aiman to the National Autism Society of Malaysia (Nasom), where he attended early intervention programmes from age five. With 20 centres in 11 states, Nasom is the oldest NGO serving autistic individuals in the country. In 2004, the Ministry of Health reported that 1 out of 600 children in Malaysia is autistic. However, many
experts contest this figure, and argue that the prevalence rate is closer to the rates in developed countries: 1 in 68 in the US and 1 in 100 in the UK. The Department of Statistics reports 511,865 births in 2014. If one out of 600 children is autistic, then a total of 853 children were born with autism that year. Using the US and UK figures, the number of children with autism rises alarmingly: 7527 and 5118 respectively. The Department of Social Welfare reports that based on voluntary registration of OKU (Orang Kurang Upaya or disability) cards, there are currently 12,887 individuals registered as autistic (9014 children and 3873 adults). Since 2004, the Ministry of Health has collected data on the detection of new cases in children below 18 in their facilities. The annual figures show an upward trend. According to Director General of Health Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah the increase can be attributed to contributory factors such as earlier detection due to the introduction of screening using M-CHAT (Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers), a change in the diagnostic criteria used and increasing awareness among parents and caregivers. The increasing trend mirrors a global rise in the prevalence of autism. In the US alone, there has been a tenfold increase in autism cases in the last 40 years. In Malaysia, anecdotal evidence from NGOs, private learning centres, and healthcare professionals suggest a surge in cases. But with the swell in numbers, is the country equipped to treat and care for autistic individuals? Urgent need Nasom chairman Bistamam Siru Abdul Rahman understands the urgent need for more treatment and care facilities. In Nasom’s 29-years’ existence, the NGO has grown to include 20 centres. However, because of limited resources, it takes in 500 students at full capacity.
“I don’t think that [we’re doing enough]. If you take that 1 out of 68 figure, the total government, NGO, and private infrastructure does not take care of that number. So who’s looking after them?” he asks. “On a statistics level, it doesn’t seem like we’re handling the situation.” Bistamam believes that more health professionals are needed, lamenting their shortage in Nasom. “We wish we could have specialists and paediatricians, but we don’t. We can’t compete with the private sector. We’ve been losing our psychologists steadily. The first we lost were speech therapists. We don’t have any more speech therapists; we do have a few occupational therapists, but they come and go. Those are the hazards we face.” At private centres, therapy sessions are charged at an hourly rate, anywhere from RM120 to RM180 per hour. On top of speech and occupational therapy, there are a range of other therapies to choose from. However, the high costs of private therapy is prohibitive, and few parents are able to afford them. At Nasom, the fees are minimal, around RM300 per month, even though it costs the NGO RM900 to care for each child.
That way, children can be referred to speech therapists. The earlier the intervention, the better.” Early intervention programmes are designed to help children reach developmental milestones. Intervention is usually multidisciplinary, targeting a child’s physical, cognitive, social, communication, and self-help skills. “We need more speech and occupational therapists, more interventionists. But to catch up with the demand could take years. Even in more developed countries, there is a shortage,” says Dr Hasnah, the director of Permata Kurnia, a government stateof-the-art centre for autism. It opened its doors in November last year, initiated by Datin Seri Rosmah Mansoor. Located in Sentul, Kuala Lumpur, the purpose-built centre is equipped with modern therapy facilities, including a swimming pool. The centre runs early intervention and preschool programmes, and also provides community education for parents, teachers, and therapists. About 250 autistic children – aged two to seven – are getting the intervention they need here. Parents make financial contributions based on a sliding scale: those with a joint income under RM3000 don’t pay, while those with an income over RM15,000 pay a maximum of RM500 per month.
Treatment and diagnosis for autism are most accessible in the Klang Valley. Those from less urban areas are at a disadvantage. They either have to make the long commute to treatment facilities, or wait at hospitals for an official diagnosis. Even in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, parents struggle to get their children treatment, often faced with endless waiting lists for therapy or doctor’s visits in government hospitals.
“At Permata Kurnia, we’re disseminating information so that teachers and parents can be empowered. I feel that we need to focus on parents and teachers in school. With teachers, we can train them so that when an autistic child comes to their classroom, they know what to do.”
“This is my biggest concern,” Bistamam says of autistic children in rural areas. “If there’s a high incidence here, there’s going to be a high incidence there. The centres are not there. The way we are developing our 20 centres, we can’t really afford to go on. Over the years, we’ve developed on the basis of where parents are the most organised and shout very loudly for our services. Where there’s a demand for us, so we go there and provide our services. But if they’re not shouting hard enough, we don’t hear them.”
“I think the key is parents. We need to get parents to have their kids diagnosed. We need to empower them. Research has shown that empowered parents really help their kids.”
While Assoc Prof Dr Hasnah Toran – a leading authority on autism in the country – agrees that there is a dire shortage of healthcare professionals in the field, she thinks our focus should be redirected to equipping teachers and medical officers with the requisite skills. “We have less than 300 psychiatrists in the country, and less than 20 are child psychiatrists. It’s around one psychiatrist to 240,000 people,” she says. “We have to empower the physicians to make a call. If they’re not trained to make a diagnosis of autism, then they should be able to make a diagnosis of developmental delay.
Like Bistamam, she is a strong advocate for getting parents involved in their child’s treatment.
This article is taken from star2.com. You can view the full article at this link http://www.star2.com/family/ children/2016/04/18/how-parents-teachers-and-doctorscan-really-help-autistic-children/
Fighting autism can be expensive. If you are looking for a more affordable solution, here’s one.
Serving Low-Income Children With Autism In Malaysia In Malaysia, an average of one out of every 600 children is autistic, and although the wealthy can avail themselves of private facilities to help meet their children’s needs, the poor have few reliable options. This makes it difficult for parents with autistic children to work, save money, and build a better life for their families. That’s why the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS), an Atlas Network partner in Malaysia, created the Ideas Autism Center (IAC) in order to provide autism-related services to low-income families and allow them better access to the job market. Autism spectrum disorder is a range of complex brain development disabilities. The IDEAS center, which is the only one of its kind in Malaysia, offers daycare, speech and occupational therapy, and education to autistic children during working hours, freeing up their parents’ time and allowing them to earn a living. Many countries, particularly in the developing world, simply lack the infrastructure and funds to adequately support those afflicted with autism. “This does not absolve the government from its responsibility but the key thrust is to reduce the burden on the government, and by extension, the taxpayer,” said Wan Saiful, chief executive of Ideas, in an interview with Catalyst Asia magazine. IAC demonstrates that civil society and the private sector can play a vital role in filling the gaps for governments, and in the process making a sustainable solution. “Our priority is to turn IAC into a social enterprise although at the moment, the model is a charitable one,” said Saiful. This article is taken from atlasnetwork.com. You can view the full article at this link https://www.atlasnetwork. org/news/article/serving-low-income-children-with-autism-in-malaysia
Ink Newsletter | January 2016
p! u s ’ t Wha
01 | From Xmas Staff Sale to Rumah KIDS Every December, Pelikan Asia (PASB) holds a Christmas sale exclusive for Pelikan Malaysia staff. What differentiates this sale from the other staff sales is the pledge to contribute part of the proceeds to a charity organisation. For 2015 Christmas sale, Rumah KIDS, a shelter for underprivileged children was selected as the beneficiary. So on 16 March 2016, Pelikan team visited Rumah KIDS which was located at USJ 1 Subang Jaya to present their contributions. The contribution included some cash raised from the sale and also stationery supplies for the children. Not only that, Pelikan staff also made personal contributions to the shelter, with some donating cash while others contributing food, toiletries and household supplies. During the visit that lasted 3 hours, the children of Rumah KIDS enjoyed a fun time with Pelikan team especially during the colouring activity.
02 | Preparing A Marketing Plan by Comfori
03 | Happy Birthday Mr HK Loo
PASB held a in-house training program for its Marketing, Product and Key Account team on 11 & 12 April. The training, Preparing a Marketing Plan, was conducted by Mr Zulkhafle from Comfori and focused on how to draw up a marketing plan that is actionable. A total of 11 PASB staff took part in the training.
Happy Birthday Mr Loo! 14 April, our President/CEO Mr HK Loo celebrated his 61st birthday together with all Pelikan staff. The celebration was done at the Ground Floor meeting room with a beaming Mr Loo surrounded by the Pelikan family and of course, the durian cake. Check out the photos!
04 | Sales and Marketing Meeting 2016 An internal Sales and Marketing Meeting took place for all PASB staff at Ruang, Shah Alam on 21 April. The one day meeting discussed PASB marketing plan for 2016 with a focus on the coming Back to School campaign at the end of the year. At the meeting, ideas were exchanged and plans were firmed up. Everyone left the meeting with a clearer picture of the company’s direction in 2016.
05 | Congrats Laila Najihah. We are proud to share this wonderful news. Laila Najihah, the daughter of our Quality Inspector Zahrah (Pelikan Production), scored straight As in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia 2015. Congratulations! The result was announced recently in March. Laila who went to SMK Puchong Perdana said she would like to continue her study in medicine. Congrats again Laila, and all the best for the future!
06 | Welcome Desiree and Cana Welcome to Desiree Lim and Cana Lee Siow Huay, the new additions to PASB family! Desiree joins on 1st April as Graphic Designer + Marketing, Junior Executive. Her email is desiree.lim@ pelikan.com.my and she can be contacted at extension 128. Cana is doing Corporate Sales Executive and joins on 4th of April. Her email is cana.lee@pelikan.com.my and she can be contacted at extension 123. Please give them your warmest welcome and extend your usual cooperation to them. Welcome again to both!
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If you have any suggestion or any stories you feel should be published in the next issue of Ink!, please contact Hazri Nasaruddin at hazri@pelikan.com.my. Any suggestion is welcome. Thank you.