Responsibility To Protect Environment Belongs To All, Not Solely On DOE - DPM

BAGAN DATUK, Nov 23 (Bernama) -- The responsibility to care for the environment does not only lie with the Department of Environment (DOE) but it is the responsibility of all citizens of this country, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Ahmad Zahid said awareness of caring for the environment must be emphasised to all groups, not just students in schools.

“Protecting the environment is everyone’s responsibility, not just students but us adults too cannot escape that responsibility.

“Don’t blame the environment if (nature) is no longer friendly to us, all incidents, the destruction of nature are caused by us,” he said when officiating the Perak State Level National Environment Day (HASN) Celebration 2025 here today.

Also present were the state Science, Environment and Green Technology Committee chairman Teh Kok Lim and Perak DOE director Datuk Mohammad Ezanni Mat Salleh.

Meanwhile, Ahmad Zahid, who is also the chairman of the National Disaster Management Committee, praised Perak’s commitment in protecting environmental sustainability through efforts from various parties including schools, mosques, government agencies and industry partners.

“As proof of commitment, there are more than 71 schools throughout Perak that have participated in the electrical and electronic waste (e-waste) collection competition, with a total collection reaching 38 tonnes metric.

“Not only that, mosques across the state also responded to this sustainable call, successfully collecting 11 tonnes of e-waste,” he said.

Today’s HASN 2025 celebration with the theme “Environment, Shared Responsibility.” also introduced famous artist Datuk Ahmad Azhar Othman or Awie as an environmental ambassador to promote the theme for the state of Perak.

HASN is an annual event that was organised following the Langkawi Declaration on the Environment in October 1989 through a statement “actively promoting environmental education programmes to increase public awareness and support” at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).

Starting in 1991, Environment Day was celebrated as Malaysian Environment Week (MASM).

In 2016, it was rebranded to HASN and is celebrated on October 21 every year and for the state of Perak this year, the Bagan Datuk district was chosen as the celebration location.

-- BERNAMA