By: Mardinah Jikur
Daily Express
7 July 2023
KINABATANGAN: Sawit Kinabalu has planted more than 36,000 trees, as of June this year, to support the 100 Million Tree Planting Campaign under the Malaysian Greening Agenda 2021-2025 and conservation in the State.
Sawit Kinabalu Group Plantation Advisory and Agribusiness Controller Khairul Azhan Othman said that apart from the group’s daily activities, the tree planting efforts would also be intensified in preserving and conserving nature.
“For Sawit Kinabalu, we have started this initiative since 2003 by planting 700 trees,” he said.
“Through the conservation and biodiversity unit, we are also committed to ensuring that conservation efforts in this state can be carried out in the best possible way,” he said this when officiating the World Environment Programme organised by Sawit Kinabalu and the Sabah Forestry Department at the Kinabalu Oil Palm Conservation and Biodiversity Unit Office, Sungai Pin Kinabatangan here, Wednesday.
Khairul represented Sawit Kinabalu Group Managing Director Datuk Bacho Jansie.
At the programme, a total of 519 saplings were planted by the attendees and students.
Of the figure, 419 of various species were donated by the Sabah Forestry Department, while another 100 fig trees were donated by Bora.
In another development, he said, Sawit Kinabalu is also committed to using environmentally friendly Black Gold compost fertiliser through livestock waste of the group’s 13,000 cows.
Meanwhile, Jurimin said through the Greening of Malaysia, Sabah had been given a target of 40 million trees to be planted over five years.
So far, it has reached approximately 12 million of the target.As for plantations, he explained, Sawit Kinabalu is the most significant contributor to the number of trees planted in the State and reached 36,175 trees, as of June this year.
Sawit Kinabalu is also a pioneer in contributing greening in Sabah, aside from schools, government agencies and FMU licensees, among others.
“Tree planting efforts are ongoing to help achieve the target,” he said.
For Kinabatangan and Sandakan, it has planted approximately 3,000 trees involving the school and department staff, excluding private individuals and FMU license holders.
Meanwhile, the students were also excited because they could plant trees together and understand the importance of preserving nature.
