Tuesday June 2, 2009
By HILARY CHIEW
IT is said that the environment that one lives in shapes one's personality. This notion is true for Khor Hui Min, an active member of environmental organisations and an avid volunteer.
Lazing on the beach of Mengabang Talipot, about 20km from Kuala Terengganu in between lectures as an undergraduate at Universiti Putra Malaysia Terengganu (now University College Terengganu) was a life-defining experience for her.
Khor was studying computer science 10 years ago but the "campus by the beach" atmosphere and mixing with marine biology students opened up another world to the Ipoh lass who loves the sea.
"I enjoyed learning about the wonders of the marine world and the university has a strong fisheries and marine science tradition. I found myself attracted to this field," she recalls of the switch in her interests.
Greenie Khor Hui Min keeps used plastic bags and eco-bags in her car for her shopping. She pursued a master's degree in the environmental field. She documented the coral reefs of Pulau Bidong for her thesis which she believed could contribute towards the drafting of a management plan for islands in Terengganu.
Upon graduation, Khor worked as consultant in environmental impact assessments and involved herself in groups like the Malaysian Society for Marine Sciences (MSMS) and the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS). She left her job after two-and-a-half years, saying "it's really tricky trying to maintain your professional integrity."
Since becoming an MNS member in 2004, Khor has plunged into the society's environmental awareness campaign for the villagers of Pulau Tioman, who were facing the proposed expansion of an air strip and a marina.
"Every year, we organise something different for the villagers of Kampung Tekek. It's always a topic related to the natural world and enhances their knowledge and appreciation for the flora and fauna. Last year, we shared about seahorses and this year, it's about bird-watching," she says, adding that competitions on T-shirt designing and poster drawing are thrown in to give the programme an interactive element.
Khor believes that the message about human impact on the environment – as shown by images of the garbage-filled sea and destructive fishing methods on posters – is understood even by the young ones. Such entries were picked as winners and the significance of the messages were then explained to the participants.
As co-ordinator of the marine group in MNS, Khor led other volunteers to raise funds by selling T-shirts and food on special occasions such as MNS members' day.
Khor is also the honorary editor of MSMS publications and contributes to the MNS newsletter.
What keeps her going? "I believe that everybody has the potential to make a difference in their own small way and if everyone does that, the collective effort will be far-reaching," she says.
The 32-year-old who loves to write and works as a copy editor resisted car ownership for six years until she moved into her own place in Puchong where public transportation was simply impossible.
"I had my share of enduring the unreliable bus service and getting stuck in LRT trains that break down. I just wish the government will put some serious thought into improving the public transport system," she says.
To reduce her carbon footprint, she resists electrical appliances like washing machines, handwashing her clothes instead. She uses a small second-hand refrigerator and uses the air-conditioner only on very hot days. She made it a point to install only energy-saving light bulbs in her new place.
She keeps used plastic bags and eco-bags in her car so that she will never be caught without them. Reducing the use of plastic bags and containers is one key achievement for Khor who tries to lead a greener lifestyle. "Why not? Some food sellers even give me discounts when I use my own containers," she says.
This article was taken from: The Star Online: Go Green Live Green 2 June 2009
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