KASA aims RM1 million in donations through green mosque endowment campaign

KUALA LUMPUR, May 21 (Bernama) — The Environment and Water Ministry (KASA) is targeting to raise RM1 million in public donations through the Green Mosque Endowment Campaign this year.

Its deputy minister, Datuk Mansor Othman said the donation aimed to provide mosque managements with easy, fast and sustainable alternative funding access to finance their green technology projects.

"This initiative is based on the crowd funding concept where funds contributed by individuals, government sector, corporate sector and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are channeled to mosques," he told reporters at the handing over of the RIH (Green House of Worship) Kit  and launch of the Green Mosque Endowment Campaign at the Zaid Haritsah Mosque, Gombak today.

The Green Mosque Endowment campaign is an extension of the RIH initiative jointly carried out by the ministry's agency, Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Corporation (MGTC), and Yayasan Waqaf Malaysia since 2020.

He said the RIH's initiative was to make the house of worship a catalyst for environmental sustainability in cultivating a green lifestyle among among members of the congregation, besides making the building energy and water efficient, as well as environmentally friendly and low carbon.

Apart from the Zaid Haritsah Mosque, the RIH kits were also given to seven mosques adopted by KASA and its agencies, including Selayang Baru Mosque in Selayang; Sultan Ismail Petra Mosque in Kubang Kerian, Kelantan; Ara Kuda Jamek Mosque in Bukit Mertajam, Penang and Al-Muktafi Billah Shah Mosque in Kuala Terengganu.

Mansor said based on a preliminary audit report by MGTC of the eight mosques, it was found that the total annual energy consumption of all the mosques was 1.7 million kilowatt-hours (kWh), while water consumption was 85 thousand cubic meters and carbon emission was 977 tonnes of CO2 emissions.

“Based on the preliminary audit report, the potential for energy savings is 29 per cent, water by 25 per cent and carbon emission reduction by 29 per cent.

Apart from that, the potential savings in utility cost for the mosques and also the State Islamic Religious Department (JAIN) is RM258,000, which is 29 percent based on the benchmark in 2019," he said.

Mansor said among the conservation efforts carried out by the mosque were the replacement of LED lights, use of four and five-star energy efficient air conditioners, rainwater harvesting systems, replacement of water efficient taps and also the installation of solar systems.

He hoped that efforts to transform houses of worship into green houses of worship could continue with more participation from the  houses of worship , as well as continuous support from the public, NGOs and corporate bodies.

—BERNAMA