Perlis encourages public to help make state's greening programme a success

PADANG BESAR, Sept 16 -- The Perlis government and the state Forestry Department are inviting the public to help make the state's greening programme, in conjunction with the 100 Million Tree-Planting Campaign, a success.

Natural Resources and Environment, Biotechnology and Green Technology, Health executive councillor Teh Chai Aan said the programme needed the cooperation of all parties as lush green forests are a refuge for wildlife as well as various types of plants.

He said preserving and caring for forests and the environment is the responsibility of all parties including the private sector, institutions of higher learning, non-governmental organisations, village communities and also individuals, not just the responsibility of the government alone.

"Therefore, individuals who are interested in making this programme a success can get saplings from the Perlis Forestry Department," he told Bernama, here today.

Earlier, Teh together with heads of government departments and agencies in Perlis planted 20 trees at the Timah Tasoh Dam.

Meanwhile, Perlis Forestry Department director Awang Shaffie Awang Ahmadni said so far 144,824 trees have been planted throughout the state.

"Thus far, we have managed to achieve 72.4 per cent of the target of planting 200,000 trees a year and tree-planting efforts will be intensified with the cooperation of all parties," he said.

He said the effort was carried out through awareness campaigns such as the Perlis Greening Programme, Mangrove Tree-Planting Campaign, Green School Programme, Tree Community initiative and others.

He also said tree-planting was also done through existing programmes conducted by government departments and agencies under the rubber replanting programmes and so on.

"We also encourage the public to be involved by planting trees in orchards, around their house and others," he added.

-- BERNAMA