MBSB Berhad employees taking the green to heart at Setiu Wetlands State Park.
GROWING up in Kota Baru, Kelantan, Mohd Khairuddin Aziz was taught how to plant various fruit trees by his parents.
“My parents used to teach me how to plant various fruit trees such as rambutan, mangosteen, papaya and langsat,” he said.
“They also gave me tips on how to ensure the trees grow properly.
“Being here reminds me of them,” said the father of three when met while volunteering for a mangrove planting programme at Setiu Wetlands State Park in Terengganu.
He was among 40 MBSB Berhad employees who took part in the event, which was a collaboration with Terengganu State Park Management Council (MPTN).
Involving employees from branches in Kota Baru, Kuala Terengganu (Terengganu) and Kuantan (Pahang), it was the second in a series of similar programmes by MBSB Berhad.
The first planting was held in Sabak Bernam, Selangor, while future events are planned for Nibong Tebal (Penang), Tuaran (Sabah), Tanjung Kupang (Johor) and Kuching (Sarawak).
(From left) Fadly, Zam Zuri, Tengku Mohd Arifin and Azmi.
During the tree planting in Setiu, participants were guided by Azmi Omar, chairman of Persatuan Sahabat Alam Sekitar Setiu Terengganu, an association that helped manage the park.
MBSB Berhad employee Dahliawati Mohd Yasin was joined in the event by her husband Sazali Ali.
“I have always been interested in community events and this is not the first time that I joined my company’s volunteer programme.
“Apart from educating us about the environment, this activity is also a form of exercise,” she said.
For MBSB Berhad East Coast regional manager Zam Zuri Izani Abu Hassan, the programme was extra meaningful as he met MPTN director Tengku Mohd Arifin Tengku A. Rahman, who was his senior in secondary school.
Zam Zuri said he regularly joined MBSB Berhad’s community initiatives including a tree-planting exercise in Kuantan last year.
Mohd Khairuddin says the programme brings back memories of his parents.
“This programme is a platform for employees to meet and bond with coworkers from other branches and departments.
“Although exhausting, it gives us a chance to learn something new,” he said.
MBSB Berhad, in a statement, said it partnered with environmental groups such as Malaysian Nature Society and EcoKnights to plant 7,000 mangrove saplings this year.
Its group chief executive officer Rafe Haneef said the programme was part of MBSB Berhad’s sustainability efforts and long-term investment in environmental protection.
“This is about preserving ecosystems and local communities, who rely on mangroves for their livelihoods.
“We’re not just planting trees, we’re planting hope, resilience and a vision for a greener tomorrow,” he said.
Also present was EcoKnights programme director Fadly Ahmad Bakhtiar.
