IPOH: According to Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah of Perak, the obsession with infrastructure development and economic profit cannot justify the want to destroy the environment.
Natural disasters have been occurring with greater frequency recently, according to him, and should be viewed as a divine punishment for our misbehaviour, turning nature against us.
Sultan Nazrin believes that technical advancement alone will not be enough to prevent disasters caused by human-caused environmental destruction.
“National growth and development must be tempered with respect and love for the environment to cultivate awareness so that man and nature can co-exist to achieve a balance between growth and regeneration,” Sultan Nazrin said during the opening of the 14th Perak state assembly’s fifth session on Monday (March 28).
The Sultan of Perak, on the other hand, stated that the Covid-19 pandemic, natural disasters, inflation, and, most recently, war, have all posed a threat to the global food supply.
According to the 2020 Global Report on Food Crisis, the pandemic was capable of generating a food crisis of critical proportions, with rising food costs affecting lives and causing anguish.
He claimed that the government was working on many coordinated action plans to ensure food safety, including measures to modernise the food subsector in the Industrial Revolution 4.0, discovering new markets, and luring young people to agriculture, fisheries, and animal husbandry.
He stated that food wasting was a regular occurrence, with global data indicating that the value of food wastage has reached 2.4 percent of global GDP, and that 17,000 tonnes of leftovers, enough to feed three million people, were disposed of daily in Malaysia.
“Some 4,080 tonnes of this food disposed of is edible food that has been squandered, and these figures jump by 10% during Ramadan, showing the seriousness of food waste today.”
“Man must be trained to appreciate food and adopt a no-waste culture, and the government must take serious efforts at the state level to eliminate food waste.”
“Starting with the amount of food ordered for celebrations and functions, as well as during gatherings and meetings, state departments should set an example.
“Every household, school, higher education institution, place of worship, food operators, restaurants, and hotels should refrain from providing excessive amounts of food that will only end up in the trash,” he stated.
Sultan Nazrin further stated that Malaysians are largely unaware of the dangers of plastic pollution, which can damage food and the environment.
He stated that the public should be aware of plastic pollution, and that many organisations, particularly youth, should educate the public on how to avoid or reduce the usage of plastic.
“The public has to be educated about the dangers of depositing plastic garbage in rivers, seas, sewers, and on public property.”
“Malaysia has the second-highest per capita use of plastic in Asia (69.54kg), and Malaysians annually throw more than 30,000 tonnes of plastic into the sea,” he added.
Sultan Nazrin also stated that the youth are essential national assets, noting that they account for 28 percent of the Malaysian population, with 7.8 million youngsters eligible to vote in the 15th General Election.
“They must be nurtured, mentored, educated, and trusted to assume more responsibilities in order to develop a close-knit and cohesive nation-state that is progressive and wealthy.”
“Active youth involvement will re-energize jaded policies, revitalise ageing structures, and infuse new life into ageing spirits,” he continued.
He believes the state’s strategy of involving the youth by providing a venue for them to express themselves and share their opinions is a good and positive move.
“Every goal, idea, aspiration, and plan can only come to fruition if it is guided by a reliable, sincere, honest, and transparent machine.”
“These objectives can only be met if an administration maintains a high level of integrity, which includes being transparent, free of corruption and misuse of authority, and accountable to the people, especially Allah,” he added.
Source: online selling platform
