Article: Think green, Kurup tells all Malaysians

Monday August 10, 2009

By NIK NAIZI HUSIN

KUALA TAHAN (Jerantut): Make caring for nature part of your lifestyle, said Natural Resources and Environment Deputy Minister Tan Sri Joseph Kurup.

He said that environmental conservation was a collective responsibility, regardless of what race, religion or age group one belonged to.

"Incorporate green living into your lifestyle by understanding the importance of nature and biodiversity," he said.

Protecting nature: Kurup holding a 3kg of kelah fish before releasing it at the Kelah Fish Sanctuary in Lubuk Tenor, Kuala Tahan, recently.

Kurup said that raising awareness on the subject was a continuous effort, and that it was a great challenge for Malaysians to think green.

"We have used different ways of highlighting environmental problems like global warming, extinction of wildlife and weather changes to get the public to pay attention and take action.

"We face air pollution, haze, river pollution and degradation of the biodiversity.

"The issue is no longer about providing information on nature's role. Our challenge is to make our lifestyle more green," Kurup said when closing the National Jungle River Ecology Course in Lubuk Tenor here.

Also present was Wildlife Department director-general Datuk Abd Rasid Samsudin, Biodiversity Institute director Fakhrul Hatta Musa and Pahang National Park director Mohd Taufik Abdul Rahman.

The week-long course was held at the Kelah Fish Santuary.

Attended by 22 teachers from all over Malaysia, its objective was to enable teachers to educate students on the importance of biodiversity.

The programme was jointly organised by the Wildlife Department and the Education Ministry.

Kurup said the programme was important to develop concern and knowledge on the importance of the environment in the younger generation.

"Teachers can instil such awareness in the young and teach them how to protect the environment. It is important for this course to be held regularly," he said.

This article was taken from: The Star Online: Metro: South & East 10 August 2009