Environment: Time Sabahans 'wake up'
Published on: Sunday, September 17, 2017
Kota Kinabalu: State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said it is about time Sabahans "wake up" and realise the importance of preserving the environment.Citing for example the sea and waters off the city, he said they have become filthier by the day."The reason is very simple – the rivers and sea have been turned into our dustbins," he said when launching the Installation Art by the Bay@KK2017 at Segama Boardwalk, here.ADVERTISEMENT Interestingly, Masidi said, nature has its own way of reminding the people on their doings."The waves in the sea returned the rubbish to us, as if telling us that the problem is caused by us."If we continue to educate the public, hopefully over time, we will have a generation who emphasises on taking care of the environment."Enough is enough. I hope Sabahans will wake up one day and solve this problem. If we love our State, then let's work together to clean and preserve the environment."ADVERTISEMENT Masidi said one of the best ways to educate the public is through the artistic approach.Susanna Hernesniemi, one of the artists who took part in the programme, echoed Masidi's sentiments on environmental awareness.
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"My daughter Saara and I created an art installation titled 'Ocean Inheritance for Installation Art by the Bay' this year," she said. The Finnish artist disclosed that they wanted to highlight the sea pollution issue through their project."We use found and recyclable items. We started collecting plastics in Malaysia during our winter vacation as well as in Finland and Denmark."We found a fishing net in a container in a fishing village in Penang and decided to connect the net with plastics."She said fishing net is the only tool for traditional fishermen to earn a living from the sea."But with plastics polluting the sea and the environment, it will affect the marine life as well as nature."So we attached plastic strips on the fishing net to create awareness, so that the public can think before they act," she said.On the programme themed "Eco Art Connects", she said it is a great initiative as the venue is ideal and frequently visited by the people."Furthermore, the programme can engage children as well and this is important as they are our future."Organising chairman Dr Awangku Hassanal Bahar Pengiran Bagul said the fourth edition of Installation Art by the Bay showcased 17 projects from 14 teams from Sabah, Penang, Brunei Darussalam and Finland.The projects will be displayed from Friday until Monday (Sept 18)."Awareness through art is a powerful tool and through these installations as well as video clips and photographs on them posted on social media, we hope to reach and touch the hearts of many viewers.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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"Each piece sends a special message artistically about environmental concerns and the ongoing educational and awareness programmes," he said.Hassanal said they targeted up to 5,000 visitors over the four-day programme and even more online viewings through their official Facebook page. - Ricardo Unto