Nakawan Rainforest Festival Celebrates International Day Of Forests In Perlis

KANGAR, May 26 (Bernama) --  The Perlis Forestry Department (JPNPs), in collaboration with the Perlis government, hosted the Nakawan Rainforest Festival, a three-day event that commenced on May 24 in celebration of the International Day of Forests at the state level for 2024.

The festival's highlight was officiated today by the Regent of Perlis, Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra Jamalullail, at Dataran Pejabat Hutan Daerah Perlis Selatan, Sungai Batu Pahat Ecotourism Area here.

Also in attendance were Raja Puan Muda of Perlis, Tuanku Dr Hajah Lailatul Shahreen Akashah Khalil,  Perlis Menteri Besar Mohd Shukri Ramli and Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry (NRES) secretary-general, Datuk Dr Ching Thoo a/l Kim.

Other notable attendees included Peninsular Malaysia Forestry Department Deputy Director-General (Policy and Planning) Datuk Zahari Ibrahim, and Perlis Forestry Department director, Awang Shaffie Awang Ahmadni.

In his speech, Mohd Shukri noted that this year's state-level Forest Day celebration involved various state and federal departments and agencies, contributing to the Visit Perlis Year 2024-2025 calendar. He highlighted that the Nakawan Rainforest Festival introduces a unique concept to the celebration.

"This concept is inspired by the Nakawan Range, Malaysia's longest limestone range, stretching 36 kilometres and composed of Setul limestone formation, which is over 480 million years old.

"The choice of the name 'Nakawan' is highly significant as it is a crucial component of the Perlis Geopark, which was recognised as a National Geopark on Nov 9, 2023," he said.

He added that a significant number of geosites are located in the Nakawan Range, including Geosite Bukit Ayer, Gua Kelam, Bukit Kubu and Perlis State Park and therefore, public awareness and knowledge about conservation efforts need to be enhanced through awareness campaigns.

"Throughout the Nakawan Rainforest Festival, there are various interesting free activities, such as tree planting activities, the Unity Green Ride Tour, a Biodiversity Camp, the Love the Forest Workshop, a Traditional Musical Instruments Workshop, and an interpretation trail and medicinal plant sales," he said.

During the opening ceremony, Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra also officiated a tree planting event featuring the Merbau species (Instia palembanica).

According to a JPNPs press statement, the Merbau tree is the National Tree of Malaysia, symbolising the strength of the country's forest integrity, the result of sustainable management, and the conservation efforts of Malaysia's biodiversity treasures.

"The Merbau tree is widely found in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak, particularly along riverbanks in lowland forests up to an altitude of 1,000 meters," the statement read.

-- BERNAMA