Curtin Sarawak students, representatives from MPA and MCC as well as staff of SK Kuala Baram 2 planting a Gemelina sapling
Miri – 10 October 2012 – A group of environmentally-conscious students of Curtin University, Sarawak Malaysia (Curtin Sarawak) are on a mission to raise environmental awareness in the community, starting with students of 21 primary schools in Miri.
With the support of Curtin Sarawak, Miri Port Authority (MPA) and Miri City Council’s Local Agenda 21 (LA21) Programme, the group is spearheading an ‘Environmental Awareness Project 2012’ initiative that will see it, along with staff of MPA and MCC, conducting environmental activities such as talks, quizzes, exhibitions and the planting of 1,000 Gemelina saplings sponsored by the Shin Yang Group at the schools.
The group is made up of mechanical engineering student Sham Zhen Dong, 23; applied geology student Vincent Chin Hua Lung, 23; accounting and finance student Tew Xue Shan, 23; mechanical engineering student Phang Kip Loong, 23; marketing and finance student Tsen Siaw Tshin, 23; and marketing and management students Omotehinse Becky Damilola, 24, and Kho Duh Guan, 18.
Themed ‘Together Caring for Mother Earth’, the ‘Environmental Awareness Project 2012’ aims to promote environmental awareness as well as environmentally-friendly practices such as recycling, composting and the planting of trees to reduce our carbon footprint. The project is expected to end in November 2012.
The project kicked off at SK Kuala Baram 2 on 26 September 2012 with educational talks and activities for over 400 of the school’s students, followed by the planting of 50 Gemelina saplings by the Curtin students and staff of the school, MPA and MCC. A similar event was held at SRJK (C) Chung Hua Krokop on 4 October 2012.
According to team member Vincent Chin Hua Lung, it is hoped that the project will inspire the schoolchildren to actively contribute towards a clean and healthy environment and help make Miri a greener city in the future.
In his welcoming speech, the headmaster of SK Kuala Baram 2, Sabtu Matali, thanked Curtin Sarawak, MPA and MCC for giving the school the opportunity to participate in the project and for choosing it for the launch of the project.
Students of SK Baram 2 posing with the official logo of Environmental Awareness Project 2012
For more information on the ‘Environmental Awareness Project 2012’, e-mail Sham Zheng Dong at [email protected] or Vincent Chin Hua Lung at [email protected].
Further information on Curtin Sarawak can be obtained from its website at www.curtin.edu.my or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ CurtinUniversitySarawakMalaysia.
