Port Dickson, 12 June 2011 – Sime Darby, together with the Municipal Council of Port Dickson (MPPD) and the Forestry Department, collaborated in a mangrove reforestation initiative at Pulau Burung near Port Dickson. The initiative is part of the Sime Darby Group’s employee volunterism programme to raise awareness on environmental issues.

Coordinated by Sime Darby’s Energy & Utilities Division, the project saw more than 200 employees and their family members gathering at the site to plant 2,000 rhizophora mucronata (bakau kurap) saplings on the shoreline of Pulau Burung, a well-known migratory bird stopover. The Division operates a power plant in Tanjung Gemok, less than 15 minutes away from Pulau Burung.

Sime Darby President and Group Chief Executive, Dato’ Mohd Bakke Salleh participated in the event, joining employees in the swamp under the blistering sun.

“We recognise that the mangrove forest is a refuge and nursery for marine life, also serving as a stop-over point for migratory birds and essential for sustaining a viable fishing industry. Our mangroves are a haven for biodiversity, and about 50% of fish landings on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia are associated with mangroves.” Dato’ Ir Jauhari Hamidi, Executive Vice President for the Energy & Utilities Division, Non-China Operations said.

Pulau Burung, Pulau Babi and Pulau Perjudi, located less than one kilometre off the beach of Port Dickson, were established as bird sanctuaries in 1926. The biggest island is Pulau Burung, where several species of birds and mangrove trees are found.

Other tree planting initiatives undertaken by Sime Darby include, the rehabilitation and restoration of 5,403 hectares of degraded forest in the Northern Ulu Segama Sabah and the long-term tree planting program called River of Life. The River of Life programme was initiated at Tanah Merah Estate in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan where rare, endangered and threatened (RET) tropical forest tree species were planted to revive the river that flows into the estate, thus stimulating its biodiversity. The program is currently being replicated at other estates within the Group.

The Sime Darby Group has planted a total of 328,740 trees from 276 species since 2007. The trees were planted throughout the Sime Darby Group’s operational areas and the communities living within.

Back to top