AEON plants roots in Kuching with symbolic tree-planting programme

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Lau (far left), Wong (third right), Washizawa (second right) and others flash a thumbs up after planting their own trees outside AEON Mall.

 

A student waters some plants that he and his schoolmates just planted outside AEON Mall as part of the ‘Hometown Forest Programme’.

 

KUCHING: AEON Co (M) Berhad symbolically planted their roots in Kuching by giving 50 trees and 450 plants a new home on the grounds of their first mall in Kuching under their ‘Hometown Forest Programme’.

The programme is a tree-planting tradition that aims to preserve and protect the environment, as well as the surrounding ecosystem.

This initiative is part of AEON Co (M) Berhad’s corporate social responsibility programme that is always conducted with the local community prior to the opening of any mall.

The area outside of AEON Mall Kuching Central was busy as stakeholders, the local community and school children took part in the planting process this morning.

Forest Department Sarawak (FDS) Director Hamden Mohammad said that he was pleased to learn that AEON has planted over 500,000 trees in Malaysia alone over the last 27 years.

“The Sarawak Government is committed to ensuring forest resources are sustainablely managed to meet the demands of the present and future generations,” he said during the Hometown Forest Programme at AEON Mall Kuching Central this morning.

In a speech read by his Senior Assistant Director Wong Siong Kuan, Hamden said that they want to ensure perpetuity of the forest resources for environmental protection, and social economic of the communities of Sarawak.

“Sarawak has embarked on forest plantation projects to rehabilitate the degraded forested areas as to ensure the sustainability of its timber and to relieve the pressure of the timber supply from natural forests,” Hamden said, adding that KTS Group, under its Managing Director Dato Henry Lau, is one of the groups actively involved in tree planting.

Urban forestry also plays a role in improving urban habitats and quality of life, impacting environmental enhancement, control of air and noise pollution, and micro climatic modifications.

“FDS has been collaborating with NGOs, schools, corporate bodies and agencies both locally and internationally in reforestation projects and tree planting programmes,” he said.

This collaboration saw more than 430,000 trees planted over 1,070 ha in Kubah NP, Sampadi FR, Balai Ringin PF, Gunung Apeng FR and Sabal FR.

FDS also collaborates with corporate sectors, local and international NGOs to plant mangroves at Kuching Werland NP. To date, they have planted more than 25,000 mangrove trees.

FDS also planted more than 680,000 trees along selected coastal areas to protect the state’s coastal line from erosion and to act as a barrier in the event of a tsunami.

“We shall always encourage and welcome any government agency, corporate body and NGOs in any tree planting programmes,” he said.

Meanwhile, AEON Co (M) Berhad Managing Director Shinobu Washizawa said that tree planting has long been AEON’s commitment towards helping to preserve nature by continuously creating a more natural and pleasant environment for future generations.

“The initiative to go green gives us the opportunity to spread the message of ecological sustenance while creating a genuine working relationship with the residents within the vicinity of our first AEON Mall in Kuching Central.”

The planting commenced after a briefing by Dr Ang Lai Hoe from the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM).

The Malaysian AEON Foundation also donated RM5,000 worth of books to two schools, namely SK Tembawang, Bau and SJK Chung Hua Batu 7, as a token of appreciation to the students took part in the tree planting.

Also present were CLD Commercial Sdn Bhd Director Stephen Lau, AEON Mall General Managers Joanne Liew and Audrey Lim.