Sharing important news and updates for you and the community
~ A collaboration with Johor National Parks ~
Tanjung Piai, Johor, 29 November 2011 – As part of its on-going commitment towards environmental conservation, Malakoff Corporation Berhad (Malakoff) recently invested RM100,000 towards the ‘Save Our Mangroves’ initiative spearheaded by the Johor National Parks.
Held in conjunction with HRH The Sultan of Johor’s birthday, 10,000 mangrove saplings were planted along the coastal lines of both Tanjung Piai and Pulau Kukup National Parks.
The mangrove planting initiative attracted close to 1000 participants comprising officials from Malakoff and the Johor state government as well as members of the local community, student volunteers from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and neigbouring universities.
Joining forces to lending a helping hand, this planting session was a success thanks to the capable staff of both Tanjung Piai and Kukup Johor National Parks actively lending their expertise and guidance throughout.
At the launch, En. Jainuddin Mohayat, Malakoff’s Senior Vice President, Asset Management Division ,said, “Given the various benefits of conserving and developing mangrove areas, Malakoff has been a committed partner in the rehabilitation of mangroves here in Johor for the past two years. I am pleased to that these programmes have been incorporated as an integral part of Malakoff Community Partnerships, the flagship Corporate Social Responsibility programme of the Company.”
“The principal aim of this ‘Save Our Mangroves’ initiative is to underscore the importance of preserving the mangroves, which not only act as a natural barrier against storms and waves to prevent coastal erosion, but also play a key role in curbing air pollution,” he added.
Tanjung Piai National Park also known as Mainland Asia’s southernmost tip, covers 926 hectares and is one of the world’s acclaimed RAMSAR sites. Mangrove forests take up some 400 hectares. Since it opened its doors to the public in 2003, 409,781 visitors were recorded having come through these parts. The neigbouring Pulau Kukup National Park which is another RAMSAR site, covers 1447 hectares out of which 800 hectares are mangrove forests. This Park has also earned itself the title, World’s Second Most Uninhabited Mangrove Forest. Up until October 2011, visitor numbers totaled 28,354 and growing.
These two National Parks are home to some 25 species and subspecies of mangroves, one of the world’s largest selections.
Malakoff launched its own Mangrove Initiative in 2009, which was then officiated by Dato’ Haji Abdul Ghani Othman, the Menteri Besar Johor. The initiative kicked-off with an initial investment of RM200,000 as part of the Company’s effort to raise public awareness as well as actively contribute to the conservation of mangroves in Malaysia.
To date, a total of 30,000 saplings of mangroves have been planted with the initial 20,000 saplings being planted in Mukim Serkat adjacent Malakoff’s Tanjung Bin power plant.
Today, present to show their commitment for this cause were Tuan Hj. Muji bin Hj. Salimon, the District Officer of Pontian, Tuan Hj Suhairi bin Hj Hashim, the Pengarah of Johor National Parks and Mr Chew Yee Chuan, Malakoff’s Tg Bin Plant Manager.
“We are very grateful to Malakoff for their generous contribution towards this cause. And we look forward to their continuous support towards safeguarding these rich mangrove forests which boast of some of the world’s most amazing flora and fauna,” shared Tuan Hj. Muji bin Hj. Salimon.
As a responsible and active participant of the local communities in which it operates, Malakoff has taken serious steps to ensure the success of the Malakoff Mangrove Initiative. Towards this end Malakoff has engaged specialists for technical advice on the planting process including understanding of the mangroves, selection of seedlings, preparation of planting areas as well as the planting and maintenance of the mangroves.
Elaborating further on the day’s initiative, Jainuddin said, “You will be taken aback to know that in Malaysia alone, we have seen a steep decline in mangrove forests in just one decade. From 505,345 hectares in 1980 to 445,802 hectares in 1990. One of the biggest blocks of mangrove forests remaining is at the Sungai Pulai Forest Reserve in Johor, covering an area of 9,126 hectares.”
“We believe mangroves form a key part of Johor’s coastal eco-system and being an active participant in the local community, Malakoff will do it’s level best to support the State’s effort in conserving the environment through this ‘Save Our Mangroves’ initiative,” he added.
Malakoff also publishes booklets to educate members of the local community and the public at large on how mangroves contribute to biodiversity of flora and fauna as well as the reduction of carbon footprints. To date, Malakoff has distributed some 10,000 booklets to schools and the local communities around the Tanjung Bin power plant.
In addition, Malakoff also takes pride in its continuous investment in technologies to minimise the environmental impact of its plants’ operations. One such example is its Tanjung Bin power plant, which incorporates state-of-the-art clean coal technology such as Electrostatic Precipitators (ESP) and Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD). Moving forward, Malakoff will continue to operate responsibly to ensure its operations will have minimal impact to the surroundings.