Kuala Lumpur (4th October 2013) – Basis Bay-a leading global provider of Sustainable outsourcing solutions in Information Technology (IT), has announced its partnership and alliance with WWF-Malaysia to save the endangered Borneo pygmy elephant (Elephas maximus borneensis) as part of its on-going mission and corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts toward creating a Sustainable Malaysia.
Basis Bay’s sponsorship of WWF-Malaysia’s elephant conservation work will enable satellite-based tracking of the elephants. The data obtained of the animals’ movements will support better planning of land use to reduce future human/elephant conflict.
“We hope that our commitment in this conservation effort will set an example to many other private organisations to step up and contribute to the well-being of our environment. At Basis Bay, we believe in the importance of a balance between the triple bottom line of people, planet, profit. and this latest joint initiative with WWF-Malaysia exemplifies our commitment towards ’Sustainability of the Planet’,” said Dato’ Praba Thiagarajah, Chief Executive Officer of Basis Bay.
“The timing of this collaboration is indeed very appropriate. Collectively, we see some very challenging times ahead of us due to the escalating environmental problems. What we are seeing at the present time- and in the not too distant future- require our understanding and immediate attention.” said Dato’ Dr. Dionysius Sharma, Executive Director/CEO, WWF-Malaysia.
Due to a number of threats including unsustainable logging, infrastructure development, illegal hunting and forest fires, the Borneo pygmy elephant is now a seriously endangered species; numbering only between 1,200 – 3,600 individual animals.
Dato’ Dr. Dionysius Sharma added that until WWF-Malaysia began working in Borneo, no one had ever studied the pygmy elephants. In 2005, WWF-Malaysia successfully attached satellite collars to five pygmy elephants from different herds in the Malaysian state of Sabah. The collaring was part of the first scientific research ever conducted on this little-understood population. Currently, WWF-Malaysia has revived its satellite-tracking work in the central upland forest landscape in Sabah for the purpose of spatial planning for conservation and reduction of conflict between elephants and humans.
Dato’ Praba hopes to see the population number for these elephants improved healthily, not only with the WWF-Malaysia collaboration, but also with relevant authorities and organisation working together consistently towards a sustainable planet.
Given its many years of providing sustainable IT services in the premium IT market, Basis Bay advocates a holistic approach to sustainability through Green IT best practices, involving Smart Procurement, Technology Lifecycle Management, Green Data Centres and IT Infrastructure Optimisation.
