TREE planting is no longer only for farmers, gardeners, or those with green thumbs.
It has become a global initiative adopted by various entities, including government officials, to address the growing concerns of climate change and worsening green ecosystems.
In a rapidly evolving state like Penang, which attracts foreign investors for various reasons, and stands as one of the top most preferred destinations in the peninsular, tree planting is certainly deemed a very important movement to complement the booming industrial sector.
Earlier this year, the Yayasan Amal Tuan Yang Terutama Yang di-Pertua Negeri Pulau Pinang unveiled an initiative of planting one million trees across Penang. This endeavour is slated to officially take place on April 22 this year.
According to earlier reports, it was mentioned that this project was the brainchild of Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Ahmad Fuzi Abdul Razak.
Yayasan Amal Tuan Yang Terutama (TYT) chief executive officer Datuk Seri Rozali Mahmud said the tree planting initiative perfectly coincides with Earth Day this year, paying tribute to the human habitat in the most suitable style.
During an interview with Buletin Mutiara on April 17, Rozali said the initiative, which was shared with various stakeholders, including those from the public, private, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), as well as schools, has received an overwhelming response.
According to him, out of the one million trees, 45% are expected to be covered by the public sector, 35% by the private sector, and 20% by the community, schools, NGOs and other entities.
“According to calculations by the Malaysia Green Technology Corporation (MGTC), once the planted one million trees start to mature in the next five years, it is capable of absorbing 40,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year.
“Therefore, this initiative is set to play a very important role in addressing the growing climate change issue, protecting the biodiversity of the environment, and making a lasting impact on our planet’s ecosystems,” Rozali said.
The tree planting will occur simultaneously at designated areas by the participating parties, while Ahmad Fuzi and his family will officially kickstart the project at his residence in Seri Mutiara.
Rozali also added that he has engaged the Malaysia Book of Records (MBOR) team to officially verify the completion of planting one million trees.
He has also urged the participants to download the ‘1 Million Tree Penang’ application to keep track of updates about the initiative.
Earlier, Rozali visited Flextronics Technology Sdn Bhd in Batu Kawan as the company announced its participation to assist the Yayasan Amal Tuan Yang Terutama (TYT) in its tree planting effort.
Flex Penang South general manager Seganayaki Shanmugam said the company aims to contribute to the conservation of the state’s biodiversity, mitigate the impact of climate change, and reduce carbon emissions and greenhouse gases.
The company will collaborate with six schools and five villages to plant 2,000 trees.
Story by Kevin Vimal
Pix by Siti Nuratikah Rahmat