Kuala Lumpur, 7 November 2017 – Malaysian Timber Certification Council (MTCC) took part in the Kuala Lumpur Engineering Science Fair (KLESF) 2017 in an effort to create greater awareness and inculcate passion and love for the forests and their sustainability among the primary and secondary students. Interactive activities on practices of sustainable forest management (SFM) were carried out to engage the students in pursuit of this aim.
“Conserving our forests is critical in ensuring the future supply of natural renewable resources, protection of biological diversity and ecosystem services, sustainable human livelihood and in mitigating the growing threat of climate change. Young people should be made aware of the need and importance of conserving our forests, as they will be the ‘change agents’ and future leaders of our country,” said MTCC CEO, Yong Teng Koon.
“The inquisitive nature of young minds definitely makes it easier to instil green values and an appreciation of implementing SFM in Malaysia. Through our participation at KLESF, we were able to engage and reach out to many enthusiastic youngsters. We sincerely hope that they have benefited from participating in MTCC’s activities and have gained a better understanding and appreciation of the important roles of our forests,” Yong elaborated.
With a display of colourful posters and a model depicting the Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme (MTCS) certification process, the booth attracted 400 students who were keen to learn about the MTCS and its role in promoting sustainable forestry in Malaysia. The word search on SFM in particular, generated good interest and active participation of the students.
MTCC believes that deeper knowledge and understanding of the values of forest management practices, taking into consideration their economic, social and environmental aspects can have positive impacts among these students on the need to safeguard our forest for the future. The MTCS ensures that our forests are sustainably managed through independent assessment of forest management practices and periodic audits of MTCS-certified forests and forest plantations.
“We also want to create awareness among the students on the importance of using sustainable materials such as certified timber products. Educating them young in making such conscious choices would definitely be a step in the right direction to ensure a greener future for all Malaysians,” Yong concluded.
The KLESF 2017 was held at the Mines International Exhibition and Convention Centre from 3 to 5 November 2017. The event attracted primary and secondary school students across the nation, allowing them to share and learn from one another about the application of science and engineering in their environment. It also aims to raise awareness on the role of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in socio-economic wellbeing and sustainable development.