Johor, 12 October 2024 – Amanah Lestari Alam (ALAM), a foundation established by Bank Pembangunan Malaysia Berhad (Bank Pembangunan) to instill mindset transformation and behavourial change among the public towards the environment, successfully planted 650 mangrove saplings and seedlings at Taman Negara Johor Tanjung Piai, Kukup, Johor, during the final session of the ALAM Be-Leaf Mangrove Planting Programme 2024.
The activity, organised in collaboration with Kementerian Belia dan Sukan (KBS) under the Rakan Bumi lifestyle for the Rakan Muda programme, aimed to empower and create youth champions for the environment through eco-volunteerism, while supporting coastal ecosystem restoration and promote conservation.
The initiative saw the participation of 150 volunteers, including members from Skuad Sukarelawan Anak Malaysia (SATRIA) under KBS, YouthCare Malaysia, and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), as well as representatives from BPMB’s Board of Directors, Senior Leadership Team, Shariah Committee, and ALAM’s Board of Trustees.
Sainursalwa Sani, Group Chief Executive Officer of BPMB, said: “The support and enthusiasm shown by the volunteers have been instrumental in achieving the objectives of the ALAM Be-Leaf initiative. It is inspiring to see the volunteers mainly from the youth group, come together to make a tangible impact on our environment for the future generations to come.”
Ismail Sairan, Assistant Park Warden at the Johor National Parks Corporation, echoed the same sentiment and added that: “Initiatives like ALAM Be-Leaf raise awareness and encourage proactive participation in environmental conservation. We look forward to supporting similar efforts that benefit the local ecosystem and communities.”
Prior to this, ALAM conducted three mangrove planting sessions at Mangrove Point Klang in Selangor, Hutan Simpan Sungai Merbok in Kedah, and Taman Negeri Setiu Wetlands in Terengganu, involving around 600 participants and successfully planting a total of 1,750 saplings. These activities contribute to the Greening Malaysia Campaign – 100 Million Tree Planting by 2025, a national campaign by the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability and aim to support the country’s biodiversity and coastal resilience.
With the successful conclusion of ALAM Be-Leaf Mangrove Planting 2024, ALAM looks forward to expanding its environmental initiatives in the coming year, aiming to further engage diverse stakeholders and communities across Malaysia.
Separately, BPMB’s commitment to social development was recently acknowledged through its participation in the Santuni MADANI: Satu Pemimpin, Satu Kampung programme. The programme aims to enhance village potential and build community capacity through direct engagement, while addressing local socioeconomic challenges.
About Bank Pembangunan Malaysia
Bank Pembangunan Malaysia Berhad was incorporated on 28 November 1973 as a development financial institution. Owned by Minister of Finance (Incorporated), Bank Pembangunan has been accorded the highest rating of ‘AAA’ by both RAM Rating Services Berhad and Malaysia Rating Corporation Berhad. It is regulated and supervised by Bank Negara Malaysia under the Development Financial Institution Act 2002.
With a Group Total Assets value of RM29.0 billion (as at 31 December 2023), Bank Pembangunan is well positioned to meet the financing and business development needs of Malaysian businesses.
About Amanah Lestari ALAM (ALAM)
Amanah Lestari Alam (ALAM) is a national initiative mooted by the Ministry of Finance Malaysia and spearheaded by Bank Pembangunan Malaysia Berhad, with a vision to transform Malaysians’ mindset and behaviours on the environment. Derived from the 12th Malaysia Plan, ALAM aims to create awareness, educate and instil whistleblowing culture by collaborating with communities, public and private sectors. ALAM also advocates policy for improved governance and bridging the policymakers with stakeholders. ALAM targets three specific segments, i.e. Primary school students, Youths and Adults – aimed at helping to address the relationship Malaysians have with the country’s present natural capital and future generations. ALAM’s focus is centred on seven UN SDGs; SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 14 (Life Below Water), SDG 15 (Life on Land) and SDG 17 (Partnership for The Goals).