13/09/2025

SATURDAY | SEPT 13, 2025

COMMUNITY 7

Sabah forest habitat project gets eco-certification

Lions reuse plastic rice bags for climate awareness Ng presenting the bursary and certificate to Sarmili for her STPM achievement. IPOH: The Lions Club of Perak Silver State heeded the government’s call to reduce usage of plastic by presenting mementos made from discarded plastic rice bags to guests at their installation of directors on August 24. Club Region 5 chairperson Dr Richard Ng said the plastic bags were collected by Koperasi Alam Hijau Perak Berhad. “Then each was cut and cleaned and creatively turned into mementos by a team of people. “It is part of our club’s environment project to help reduce plastic from ending up in the landfill and causing climate change,“ he said. The mementos were presented by organising chairperson Jemmy Lam. The event also saw the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the club’s charter. It also featured the induction of 13 new members who are groomed as part of the Branch Club Ipoh Rising Star. The highlight was the installation ceremony led by Club president Dr Adeline Tham for twelve new directors to be inducted into the board. Tham and Ng were later honoured with “Lion of the Year” awards by the club for their excellent community services. Ng also presented an education bursary of RM500 to Sarmili Thinakaran who excelled in her 2024 STPM examinations by scoring a CGPA of 4.0. She also received a certificate of achievement from The Loyal Academy and another RM500 bursary from members. The event was graced by District 308B2 Governor Tan Say Cheong. Also present were past and vice district governors and reps from 21 Lions clubs. Ű P. CHANDRA SAGARAN newsdesk@thesundaily.com

Ű BY JOSHUA CHANG newsdesk@thesundaily.com

o Over 1,300 hectares of landscapes planted with native tree species

Landscape; and Trusan Sugut Forest Reserve in the Lower Sugut Landscape. The progress made so far moves the project closer to its target of fully planting over 1,500 hectares by December 2025. A recent audit of 276 hectares at the Mt. Wullersdorf Forest Reserve under the Ecosystem Restoration Standard was a key milestone in achieving the certification. The Ulu Kalumpang Forest Reserve is a critical sanctuary for Borneo’s endangered species and a protected water catchment area. It safeguards the headwaters that supply fresh water to the communities of the Tawau peninsula and is located just 35km from the town of Tawau. It is linked with other forest reserves. In the south it is connected to Tawau Hills Park and Mount Wullersdorf Forest Reserve as well as to the Ulu Segama Forest Reserve.

KOTA KINABALU: A landmark forest habitat restoration project in Sabah has received distinguished recognition for its ecological standards. The achievement was marked during a progress meeting between the Sabah Forestry Department (SFD) and WWF-Malaysia at the SFD headquarters in Sandakan on September 8. A highlight of the meeting was a ceremonial presentation of certificates. Datuk Frederick Kugan, Chief Conservator of Forests at SFD, presented the “Ecosystem Restoration Field Verification Certificate” (v3.1) to WWF Malaysia. The certificate was issued by Preferred by Nature, an international non-profit body for land management and business

Landscape Approach,’ which brings together science, community and sustainability to drive impact, not just in one site but across entire landscapes.” The partnership has advanced forest restoration through strategic guidelines and long-term spatial monitoring systems to ensure effective implementation. To date, a total of 1,369 hectares have been successfully planted with native tree species across key landscapes. These include the Sabah Softwoods Ecological Corridor, Mt Wullersdorf and Bukit Piton Forest Reserves in the Tawau-Kunak Landscape; Bagahak Ecological Corridor, KLK-Link and Silabukan Kecil Forest Reserve in the Tabin

practices that benefit people, nature and climate. It formally certifies that the restoration work at the Mt. Wullersdorf-Ulu Kalumpang Class I Protection Forest Reserve meets rigorous global benchmarks for ecosystem recovery. This was followed by Alexander Yee, a trustee of WWF-Malaysia, presenting a certificate of appreciation to SFD, honouring their enduring partnership and collaborative leadership. “This certification affirms our shared commitment to restoring ecological integrity and building forest resilience,“ said Yee. “Supported by WWF and Unilever, this project demonstrates the effectiveness of the ‘Living

SFD Corporate Communication and Innovation Division head Karim Abd Samad (4th right) gives a briefing on the restoration during the meeting.

Splashing turnout at para swimming talent search

Ű BY JOSHUA CHANG newsdesk@thesundaily.com

The budding young swimmers after the session. They are now looking forward to the advanced camp in November.

(local coach from Kota Kinabalu). Both Thien and Cheng are with the state sports council. Participation was strictly limited to students from the physical and intellectual impairment categories. The enthusiastic individuals were selected from a few local schools, including SMK Merpati, SMK Muhibbah, SK Merpati, SK Sung Siew and SK Gas. Ronisafihin expressed satisfaction at the turnout, stating that all participants perfectly aligned with the programme’s vision. Due to their performances, they were all selected to attend a further talent development camp planned by the NSC in November. The programme’s curriculum was comprehensive, featuring an introduction to para swimming, fitness assessments, water tests and

KOTA KINABALU : The Para Sports Department under the National Sports Council (NSC) successfully organised the Para Swimming Talent Search Programme in Sandakan from September 3 to 5. The event was held in collaboration with the Sabah State Sports Council and the Sabah Para Swimming Association. The programme was conducted by national para swimming coach Eva Wong who also serves as Sabah’s head coach for the sport. She was supported by a team of dedicated local coaches, including Ronisafihin Ibrahim (para swimming promoter for Sabah under the NSC), Thien Oi Yee (local coach from Sandakan) and Ian Cheng Hong Ming

The organisers extended their deepest gratitude to the Sabah Sports Council for providing the well- equipped venue and to the Sabah Education Department for their support in facilitating the release of

crucial classification exercises for the various sporting categories. Beyond athlete identification, the initiative also aimed to recruit and train new teachers to potentially become technical officers in para swimming.

students and teachers. The search for new talent continues. The programme is actively seeking athletes with visual impairments. For more details, contact Ronisafihin at 014-866 6060.