Sunway celebrates World Environment Day with green initiatives

PETALING JAYA (June 4): In an effort to promote liveability and environmentally friendly practices, Sunway Property, in partnership with Malaysian Environmental NGOs (MENGO) and supported by Eco Knights, kicked off the World Environment Day (WED) celebration with its communities in its flagship township of Sunway Resort City in Petaling Jaya yesterday.

The celebration is part of a nationwide WED initiative held at various Sunway locations across Peninsular Malaysia.

“As a master community developer, we are keen to integrate sustainability not only as a practice in our development and townships but the daily lives of our communities.

"Coming together for our intended future is the only way we can collectively engineer a better tomorrow where we no longer need to protect the environment, but living harmoniously with nature becomes a state of being,” said Sarena Cheah, managing director of Property Development Division for Malaysia and Singapore, Sunway Bhd in her opening speech. 

Each participant was given a “green passport” to collect stamps from eight “Discovery Huts” located within Sunway-owned buildings and attractions in Sunway Resort City upon completing a challenge.

The participants were required to use their five senses: taste, smell, sight, hearing and touch, to solve challenges related to green practices.

Participants also took part in other green activities including DIY Composting Workshop, Nature Workshop, Eco Screening, GOLD (Generating Opportunities for the Learning Disabled) Recycling Workshop, and National Kidney Foundation Mobile Health Screening on healthy living and good diet for kidney care.

The first prize which came with a cash prize of RM2,000 went to team UJM, led by Muhammad Firdaus Zukifli. The second prize of RM1,000 went to Tee Guat Hiong and friends from the Flower team , while the third prize of RM500 went to team Gen X led by Wan Nurul Izza Wan Darman.

“We learnt a lot today, not only about environmentally friendly practices which we can apply in our daily lives, but there are easy and conscious choices that we can make for the greater good,” said one of the participants, Haziq Asyraf, from Ampang.

In the northern region, Sunway City Ipoh (SCI) also played its part as a green corporate citizen.

SCI distributed more than 200 free eco-bags in its Property Gallery in order to educate public to reduce the use of environmentally damaging plastic shopping bags, while The Lost World of Tambun conducted a series of challenges and quizzes related to the environment among its visitors.

They were aimed at promoting public awareness on the conservation and protection of the forest and wildlife, as well as the importance of planet conservation.

Sunway Property Penang, on the other hand, organised an art competition using recycled materials among students to instil knowledge and awareness of waste management and the importance of recycling. The results of the winners will be announced on June 14.

In the southern region, there will be another WED celebration by the pristine Emerald Lake adjacent to the Sunway Iskandar Sales Gallery, with a special appearance by US Ambassador Joseph Yun.

Sunway Iskandar is the 4th stop for the ambassador’s cycling marathon with the US Embassy’s community from Putrajaya to Singapore.

The US Embassy had initiated the bike ride with the objectives to raise environmental awareness, encourage healthy lifestyles, to promote green technology and support bicycle-friendly policies. The ride culminates on June 5 with the crossing from Malaysia to Singapore to mark the United Nation’s World Environment Day.

As part of the celebration, Yun and Sunway Group corporate adviser Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam will also adopt 75,000 trees on behalf of Sunway Iskandar.

They will plant trees with edible fruits along the Emerald Lake, symbolising sustainability of the community within the 730ha Nature’s Capital City of Sunway Iskandar.

In addition, more than 1,500 fishes will also be released into the Emerald Lake.