Sarawak football team representative Joseph Kallang Tie (right) receiving the adoption certificate from a representative of Semenggoh Wildlife Centre while Sudarsono (second right) and others look on. — Photo by Saiful Bahari
KUCHING: The Football Association of Sarawak (FAS) yesterday adopted 33 Orang Utans from the Semenggoh Wildlife Centre as part of its corporate social responsibility in giving back to society.
FAS president Datu Sudarsono Osman said the move was to reciprocate the strong support from the fans which contributed to the magnificent performance by the team in winning the Premier League last year and advancing to the semi finals of the Malaysia Cup.
“This is why we felt that FAS should be giving back to the society and be an ambassador to the conservation of wildlife in the state,” he said when met at the Semenggoh Wildlife Centre here yesterday.
Members of the state football team and officials including head coach Robert Alberts were present.
“Having a team of an international composition, where we have players from Holland, Bosnia, Serbia and Hungary
apart from the locals, we felt that FAS as the body managing the state football team should play our part in the
society and nature,” Sudarsono added.
Sudarsono also revealed that the next newborn Orang Utan from the centre would be named ‘Sayot’.
The team later went for a kayaking session at Sungai Semedang before attending a motivational camp at the Borneo Rainforest Resort.