About 150 school children enjoyed their weekend in dirt and mud by participating in a mangrove tree planting programme organised by the Selangor Red Crescent Society (SRCS) at Telok Gadong.
SRCS chairman Fatimah Sulaiman said the programme was to instill awareness among its members and the community on the need to love andprotect the environment.
Mangrove trees were chosen for the project because of their ability to mitigate floods as well as tsunamis, she told reporters.
She said besides schoolchildren from selected schools, the programmme was also participated by representatives from companies namely DIC Sdn Bhd,Numerex Production Sdn Bhd and Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd as well as Selangor Forestry Department rangers, the Klang and Kuala Selangor municipal councils and also the Japanese Embassy. A total of 1,500 mangrove saplings were planted during the one-day programme.
Deputy Ambassador of Japan in Malaysia Koichi Ito who attended the event said this kind of activity is important especially to the younger generation so that they could value the enviroment. He also expressed his deep gratitude on behalf of the Japanese government and its people for the sympathy, support and donations given by Malaysian for the victims of the tsunami and earthquake disaster in Japan.
“It reflects the strong friendship between Japan and Malaysia,” he said.
At the event, Fatimah also handed over a mock cheque for RM28,340.82 to Itofor the Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund. Fatimah said the money as collected through donations from school children, college students as well as corporations.
– Bernama
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