In conjunction with the United Nations-declared World Environment Day in June, UMW Toyota Motor (UMWT) conducted a series of tree-planting activities throughout the entire month involving their staff and the local community. More than 1500 trees were planted at two locations: the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) forest reserve in Kepong and the Kota Kemuning Lake Garden.
The first tree-planting session at FRIM on 14 June 2014 involving UMW Toyota’s manufacturing arm, Assembly Services Sdn. Bhd. (ASSB) was attended by 30 staff members, who turned up early to plant seedlings of endangered tree species such as Chengal, Merbau, Balau and Berlian.
21 June 2014 marked a major milestone when the car manufacturer participated in the UMWT-MBSA Trees For Life event which saw close to 1500 trees being planted at the Kota Kemuning Lake Garden.
The event, co-organised by the Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) with partners Eco Warriors, several colleges and universities and the Kota Kemuning community, was attended by a whopping 1400 people, each eager to plant trees to save the planet.
Also present was the Mayor of Shah Alam, Dato’ Haji Mohd Jaafar, who officiated the event, and several councillors, who also participated in the tree planting activity.
“We have always been passionate about tree-planting and have been participating in tree-planting activities in the last few years. When we heard about MBSA’s Tree For Life event, we knew it was right up our alley,” said UMW Toyota Motor’s Executive Director Ravindran K.
Located close to the company’s headquarters and manufacturing plant in Shah Alam, it injected more meaning into the project, as it provides participating staff a sense of proud ownership and responsibility towards the tree they planted.
The tree seedlings, which were provided by MBSA, were specially selected by Datuk Shahoran bin Johan Ariffin, landscape advisor to MBSA, who chose them according to their suitability in a city park.
The planted trees will be cared for by MBSA but UMWT staff will continue to monitor their development to ensure they are growing well.
The event was given a unique eco-ride twist with the UMWT-MBSA Trees for Life Ride, which saw 243 cyclists cruise around 12kms around Kota Kemuning to promote healthy living via the cycling culture. Participants consisted of the members of the Toyota Cycling Club and Kelab Basikal Shah Alam.
Meanwhile, later on in the year, another programme known as Perintis Hijau, a programme by MBSA will see participation from ASSB. This programme, involving primary school children around the Shah Alam district, will see more trees being planted to cultivate respect and love for the environment among the younger generation.
The tree-planting activities are part of UMWT’s CSR initiatives to bring value to the people and places where they conduct their businesses. Apart from environmental activities, the company also has two key CSR pillars looking into traffic safety and philanthropic assistance.
Source: UMW Toyota Motors Sdn. Bhd.
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