SIBU: A representative from WWF Malaysia will be in Sibu this Saturday for the Earth Hour celebration as icon buildings and sites in town will go dark for an hour from 8.30pm.
Hii Chang Kee
Speaking to The Borneo Post yesterday, Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) secretary Hii Chang Kee said the council would hold a ceremony at Sibu Town Square graced by Second Finance Minister Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh.
He said there would be a mini concert for an hour from 7.30pm, and when the moment arrived, all icon buildings and sites in town would go dark.
“These include the Sanyan Building, the highest building in Sarawak, where lights will be switched off level by level, Sibu Town Square, Sibu Gateway, Rejang Esplanade, the Tanahmas Walkway and SMC Central Market,” said the SMC secretary.
The council, he said, had sent out letters to more than 20 organisations, including major hotels, shopping premises, schools, religious bodies, Sibu United Chinese Association, Sibu Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry as well as government departments to participate in the one-hour lights-off ceremony as an environmental awareness, calling on public to save energy to mitigate global warming.
Hii said initial response had been overwhelming and the hotels and other organisations had pledged to take part in the international event to switch off all non-essential lights for an hour.
“I hope hotels and eateries can come up with creative ideas like lighting candles for their customers that hour to enjoy a moment of peace and reconciliation with Mother Earth.”
He said the council would put up a large poster on the stage of the Earth Hour celebration to create the mood.
“We are getting the stage ready and we are putting on the final touches.” Earth Hour is an annual international event created by the WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature/World Wildlife Fund) held on the last Saturday of every March, asking households and businesses to turn off non-essential lights and electrical appliance for one hour to raise awareness towards climate change mitigation.
It was pioneered by WWF Australia and the Sydney Morning Herald in 2007. About 2.2 million Australians took part then.
By 2008, the action had spread worldwide with about 50 million people taking part.
Last year, one billion switched off their nonessential lights, meaning one in every seven persons on Planet Earth took part.
Malaysia signed in for the event last year. This will be the second year we join the world citizens towards acting for global warming.
On switching the lights off for an hour, Hii said, “Of course, an hour a year is insufficient to mitigate global warming. This is an awareness we are creating. The saving of energy should be an effort in our daily life.”