The State Local Government and Housing Ministry to introduce Meranti Award
Published on: Wednesday, February 28, 2024
By: Larry Ralon
Joachim listening to a briefing during his visit to one of the exhibition booths at the event.
Kota Kinabalu: The State Local Government and Housing Ministry (KKTP) will introduce the Meranti Award in September this year to appreciate and give recognition to local authorities (PBTs) that have successfully improved the sustainable development and management of their open spaces, green and landscaped areas.
This is part of the effort to have these areas comprehensively planned, built and managed.
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Deputy Chief Minister II cum KKTP Minister Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam said this is to fulfil the development function that has a positive impact on the community, urban environment and urban biodiversity in the State.
According to him, the award criteria are PBT initiatives in developing and upgrading public parks towards sustainable planning, community awareness programmes towards a sustainable environment, planning recognition initiatives for PBTs and planning PBT engagement programmes that support the direction of KKTP.
“This will continue to empower the State’s GREEN initiatives implemented by my Ministry,” he said.
“This initiative is in line with the State Landscape Policy which outlines the direction to ensure the development of a quality and orderly state landscape with distinctive architecture and a preserved environment, and prioritising the development of a functional and green landscape,” he said when launching the I-GREEN Festival
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Programme (KKTP’s GREEN Initiative, Sabah Maju Jaya Aspiration): Towards Sabah’s GREEN Code, organised by KKTP for the second year, at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC), here, Tuesday.
The festival is a platform involving all agencies under the State Government and related stakeholders to jointly provide collective action to maintain the sustainability of the environmental landscape in Sabah.
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Joachim said KKTP has always been committed to strengthening service delivery and the performance of PBTs and the agencies under the Ministry.
He said the KKTP I-GREEN Festival Programme was a platform and catalyst for the GREEN action throughout the State.
“The programme has been followed up with a KKTP action plan towards the GREEN Initiative by organising five series of I-GREEN Resolution Workshops involving PBTs throughout Sabah. This year, KKTP will organise several I-GREEN Tour Series that will be held in Ranau and Semporna districts.
“My Ministry, as the lead agency for the greening and environmental sustainability efforts, has provided a top down - bottom up platform like today so that we can gather together with the grassroots to identify issues and methods to overcome them sustainably,” he said.
Joachim said the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the agenda of the United Nations (UN) since the beginning of 2015 which includes 17 goals to achieve the resolution “Changing Our World: Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development”, which is a joint resolution between the governments of 193 countries.
“We are facing a global environmental crisis and an unprecedented rate of change. Every day we are always on guard in the face of possible threats of natural disasters or situations defined as ‘Code Red’.
“The public is also becoming more aware of climate change and global warming.
According to the Meteorology Department, Ministry of Environment and Water (MET Malaysia), climate change is defined as, among other things, caused by direct or indirect human activities that change the composition of the global atmosphere (increase in excess carbon dioxide resulting in warming and loss of ozone)
“Accordingly, efforts to deal with climate change need to be implemented in an integrated and balanced manner.
Responsibility needs to be borne by all parties to ensure the sustainability of current and future generations. We believe that the key to solving the climate crisis lies in reducing emissions and transforming society to maintain environmental sustainability,” said Joachim.
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