KUALA LUMPUR, 15 Feb 2009: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will brief the Conference of Rulers on the political situation in Perak at the next meeting of the Conference of Rulers.
Abdullah said it would be up to the rulers to make recommendations or decisions on the issue.
“The Conference of Rulers meets every three months. I will also be present and will brief the meeting on the political development in Perak.
“Any recommendation or decision will be up to the rulers. My responsibility is to provide information on what has happened,” he told reporters after opening the Hutan Kita-Kiara programme at Taman Bukit Kiara, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, here today.
At the event, Abdullah and wife Datin Seri Jeanne Abdullah, who is the chairperson of the Malaysian Landscape Advisory Panel, and Abdullah’s daughter Nori, planted 15 trees at the park’s compound.
Meanwhile, Abdullah called for more tree-planting programmes not only for greening purposes but also to enrich recreational areas with tree species.
“For instance, the trees planted here (in Hutan Kita-Kiara) are from various species, with their own appeal like emitting a pleasant smell while others bear fruits that attract various types of birds.
“We should plant more of such trees. Our hope is to create a gene bank from researches carried out on these trees,” he said.
Abdullah also commended the response from among various groups including the corporate sector, which had adopted “corporate plots” at the park with the aim of planting at least 50,000 trees.
He also said that the programme would be expanded to other areas, with Iskandar Malaysia in Johor and Putrajaya coming next in line.
Earlier in his speech, Abdullah said the people should realise the consequences of destroying the environment as it could cause pollution.
“I hope that this programme and other efforts such as reforestation could become our national endeavour. This is what we want to do and I will do my part too,” he said.
Abdullah added that the Hutan Kita-Kiara programme was a sign that public awareness on the importance of safeguarding the environment was growing.
He said such a programme could provide cities and towns with forest parks and green lungs, which could be utilised by the local community for recreational purpose.
“I think the programme’s structure is good in that anyone can contribute RM60 to plant a tree. By doing this, every member of the community is a stakeholder to the forest,” he said. — Bernama
