The participants pose for a group photo at Sabal Forest Reserve.

KUCHING (July 7): Land and Survey Department Sarawak, in collaboration with the Malaysian Institute of Planners (MIP) Sarawak and Sabah Chapter, partnered with Forest Department Sarawak (FDS) in holding a tree-planting programme at Sabal Forest Reserve here yesterday.

The project was undertaken by the planning branch of Land and Survey Sarawak, and a total of 130 participants had taken part in the programme, including the Diploma in Urban and Regional Planning students of Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Samarahan Campus.

“Through this joint initiative, 615 saplings of high-value indigenous species such as ‘belian’, ‘meranti’, ‘selangan’ and ‘resak’ were planted.

“Today’s programme is also meant to support the ‘Greening Sarawak’ campaign, as well as promoting awareness among the university students of the importance of combating climate change.

“Today’s programme has contributed to the cumulative number of trees planted in Sarawak, surpassing 35 million trees, the highest among the states in Malaysia,” said Forest Department Sarawak assistant director Zarina Shebli.

Among those present yesterday were Land and Survey Sarawak’s assistant director (planning) Irene Wee, Ministry of Natural Resources and Urban Development’s Urban Planning Division head Wan Sufian; and MIP Sabah and Sarawak Chapter chairman Chai Yek.