Mirians erupt in joy over Faridah’s last stand as mama

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MIRI: There was much rejoicing here yesterday after the decision to gazette Piasau Camp as a nature reserve, as mama hornbill Faridah etched a home in the hearts of all nature lovers far beyond Miri, including the corridors of power in Kuching.

The announcement by Assistant Minister of Environment Datu Len Talif Salleh on Friday in Kuching, came a day after nature lovers were united in grief over the tragic death of Faridah – the name given to the female hornbill, a totally protected species at Piasau Garden just metres away from Piasau Camp.

Datuk Lee Kim Shin, the Assistant Minister for Communications, thanked Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud and Cabinet colleagues profusely for the strong support to turn the camp into a nature park.

“This is the government’s 50th Malaysia Day gift and also contribution from Petronas and Shell to the state and the people of Miri because they will also be part of the funding and development of the park,” said Lee when interviewed by The Borneo Post yesterday.

Lee said he had recently briefed the state’s Cabinet on the needs to preserve the camp for the conservation of the rich flora and fauna, including the hornbills and as heritage, adding that the camp is associated with the oil and gas industry in Miri.

He said ecological surveys conducted by Shell and Unimas respectively in May and June this year showed that Piasau Camp has at least four totally protected species of birds including hornbills and several protected mammals and plants.

He hoped the people of Miri will treasure the park and jointly with the enforcement authorities in protecting and conserving the area, which he said once gazetted will be another tourism destination for the city. It will also be the ‘first nature park in a city’ in Sarawak and likely, he said, in the whole of Malaysia.

The pro tem Piasau Camp Nature Park Society (PCNPS) and the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) Miri Chapter were elated with the government’s timely announcement to gazette the camp as a nature park.

To which MNS Miri Chapter chairman Musa Musbah said: “Thank you, Sarawak Government and its leaders. This is really a good 50 Years Sarawak Merdeka gift. No gift is better than this to Mirians.”

Musa is also the society’s vice chairman and SFC honorary forest ranger.

Society chairman Datuk Sebastian Ting also thanked the chief minister and his Cabinet, Shell, Petronas and the relevant government agencies for the concerted efforts to make the park a reality.

“The media too played an equally important role in rallying the people’s support and getting the government’s attention to the call of the people to have Piasau Camp gazetted as a nature park.

“Faridah (the mama hornbill) may be gone but the good media coverage had aroused great interest and awareness among the people. Your reports too reached our top management (the government),” said Ting at a joint press conference attended by his members yesterday.

He urged the people in Miri to join the 5th Hornbill Walk today, starting 2pm, at Piasau Camp in memory of Faridah and also as strong support for the government’s decision to conserve Piasau Camp as a nature park for all to cherish.

As part of the walk, there will also be sale of limited edition t-shirts in memory of Faridah priced at RM10 each, while the usual t-shirt on Piasau Camp Hornbill is priced at RM20 each.

Meanwhile, he said the society will continue to work closely with MNS Miri Chapter and the authorities in creating greater public awareness on the conservation of wildlife and the environment.

Among other activities included are a petition campaign in both the mass media and going to the general public. So far he said, over 6, 400 signatures have been received.