​MEDIA RELEASE                 

OCBC AL-AMIN CONTRIBUTES RM20,000 TO SUPPORT MANGROVE PRESERVATION IN SUNGAI PETANI, KEDAH

Bank’s funds will help plant 1,000 new mangrove trees in degraded area

Sungai Petani, 2 October 2022 – More than 100 people recently came together to plant 500 mangrove trees in the Taman Sinar Intan 3 and Sungai Merbok areas near Sungai Petani, which was severely degraded and in urgent need of restoration.

The effort was made possible through a RM20,000 donation by OCBC Al-Amin Bank Berhad (OCBC Al-Amin) through its Sungai Petani branch, in collaboration with Rotary Club of Bandar Sungai Petani and Jabatan Perhutanan Kedah.

The 3-year collaboration will see the fruition of 5,000 mangrove trees planted at the site. 

According to Rotary Club of Bandar Sungai Petani President, Thiagarajan Letchumanan, the Mangrove Sapling Planting Project aims to protect the mangrove forests, which serve as crucial wildlife habitat for a variety of marine life, flora and fauna. 

“This initiative is timely given the need to be more mindful of the needs of the environment and society at large. It would not have been possible without the assistance of OCBC Al-Amin, the local community in Sungai Petani and Jabatan Perhutanan Kedah. As the first of many to come, we hope this project will pave the way to restoring the lusciousness of our scarce mangrove areas.”

“Today’s project and continued partnership with OCBC Al-Amin is an important step in supporting the environment which has recently become Rotary’s 7th and latest area of focus. The 500 trees which we have planted today and another 500 in December will make a great impact in the restoration and rehabilitation of mangrove in Sungai Petani and Kedah”

“Given our previous years of collaboration in corporate social responsibility programmes, the partnership with OCBC Al-Amin was a natural fit. We knew we could always count on OCBC Al-Amin for our community-based programmes. We are grateful to the OCBC Al-Amin Sungai Petani branch for their relentless support and commitment to assisting the community, this time by protecting our mangrove forests.”

“Not only are mangrove forests critical to ensuring the survival of wildlife and marine life, they are also essential for the survival of humans, especially by acting as coastal barriers from strong winds or other extreme weathers. Sadly, there seems to be a lack of understanding regarding the importance of preserving our mangrove forests. We hope that by raising awareness about the state of our mangrove forests, more people will come to care more for our environment,” he stated.

Speaking on behalf of OCBC Al-Amin, its Sungai Petani branch Senior Manager, Ms Shermaine Cham Keng Fheng, said that the Bank engages with the communities it is involved in by venturing beyond its superior banking products and services to meeting the social needs of the people as well. 

“Mangrove forests have been deteriorating rapidly in recent years due to countless irresponsible human actions. Saddened by this, we wanted to reach out to support our community. The Mangrove Sapling Planting Project is a fitting first step to reinstating our national treasure – mangrove forests.”

“We are thankful to the Rotary Club of Bandar Sungai Petani forpartnering with us and we hope the community will benefit greatly from these initiatives. We would also like to thank Jabatan Perhutanan Kedah for overseeing this meaningful project,” she said.

She added that with 90 years of giving to communities, OCBC looks forward to enabling individuals, SMEs and businesses to build a more sustainable future.
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Semua warga Sungai Petani yang prihatin alam sekitar dijemput Bersama Rotary Club of Bandar Sungai Petani dan bank OCBC Al-Amin pada Ahad 2 Oktober 2022, pukul 9.30 pagi di Surau Taman Sinar Intan 3, lokasi https://maps.app.goo.gl/6vcZSo8oCxhtTJCg7

PROGRAM
9.30 pagi  - berkumpul. Sarapan pagi bersama. 
10.00 pagi  - mula menanam pokok bakau
11.30 pagi - siap menanam ppokok
12.00 tengahari  - makan tengahari
12.30 tengahari - program tamat
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​Addendum: In the media

Rotarians, family members, and Interactors joined in a visit to Pulau Bidan, off Tanjung Dawai at the mouth of Merbok river. RC Bandar Sungai Petani, RC Perlis, RC Tanjung Bungah, RC Metro Ipoh, RC Seremban and Interact Club of SMK Dato' Bijaya Setia participated.

We assembled at the Merbok Ecopark jetty at the Semeling Bridge, and visited the mangrove forest & museum of Merbok history. This was the site of the oldest civilization in South East Asia. 

Then on to the boats. The first stop was at Pak Su's Oyster Farm at Sungai Batu. We had a insight into how oysters were cultured for a year before they were ready for consumption. 

The boat ride to Pulau Bidan itself took about an hour, with beautiful vistas of the river, mangrove forests and majestic Gunung Jerai. On the island, we were briefed on the Permaculture activities there, run by volunteers from all over the world. 

Lunch under the trees was followed by beach cleaning activity, and lazing in hammocks. On the way back, we stopped at Tanjung Dawai to shop for sea food products and Pak Su's Oyster Farm again to slurp in the oysters (cheap and fresh!). 

The day ended with Mee Ketam in Kampung Telok off the Western Bypass. 

Hoping to contribute to environmentally-friendly development of Pulau Bidan and promote Permaculture here. 

Thanks, Fathee Razali! 019-7718890. 

Scroll though the Flickr album for more photos below.