IPOH: The obsession for infrastructure development and business profit cannot justify the greed to wreck the environment, says Perak’s Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah.

       He said lately, natural disasters have been occurring with increasing frequency and should be regarded as a divine censure of our misbehaviour, turning nature against us.

       Sultan Nazrin said technological advancement alone cannot rein in disasters resulting from environmental devastation in the hands of man.

       “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 attain a balance between growth, and regeneration,” said Sultan Nazrin in his royal address during the opening of the first meeting of the fifth session of the 14th Perak state assembly on Monday (March 28).

       On another note, the Sultan of Perak said that the Covid-19 pandemic, natural disasters, inflation, and lately, war, have threatened the global food supply.

       He said the 2020 Global Report on Food Crisis, it had been reported that the pandemic was capable of triggering a food crisis of critical levels, where rising food prices would affect lives and create distress.

       The government he said was undertaking several integrated action plans to secure food safety through efforts to modernise the food subsector in the Industrial Revolution 4.0, identifying access to new markets and attracting the young to participate in agriculture, fishery and livestock farming.

       He said food wastage was a daily occurrence, and global data has shown that the value of food wastage has reached 2.4% of the world’s Gross Domestic Product, and in Malaysia, it was reported that 17,000 tons of leftovers, which could feed three million citizens were disposed of daily.

       “Some 4,080 tons of this food disposed of, are edible food that has been wasted, and these figures rise by 10% during Ramadan, reflecting the gravity of food wastage happening today.

       “Man must be educated to value food, and adopt a no-wastage culture, and thus, for the state level, the government must take meaningful steps to put a stop to food wastage.

       “The state departments should play the role model, starting with the amount of food ordered for events and functions, and during gatherings and meetings.

       “Every household, schools, institutions of higher learning, places of worship, food operators, restaurants, and hotels should refrain from excessive provision of food that can only end up in the bin,” he said.

       Sultan Nazrin also said that Malaysians are sorely lacking in awareness of the pollution hazards of plastic that could poison food, and the environment.

       He said the public needs to be aware of plastic pollution with the various organisations including youth educating the public to refrain from using or reducing the use of plastic.

       “The public must be educated to avoid discarding plastic waste into rivers, seas, drains and on the grounds.

       “Malaysia is the second-highest in Asia for the usage of plastic (69.54kg per capita), and on an average, Malaysians discard more than 30,000 tons of plastic into the sea yearly,” he added.

       Sultan Nazrin also said that the young are important national assets, with 28% of the Malaysian population being the youths, some 7.8 million youths would be eligible voters in the 15th General Election.

       “They need to be fostered, guided, educated and be given the trust to take on greater responsibility to build a nation-state that is close-knit and united, progressive and prosperous.

       “Active youth involvement will revitalise jaded policies, refresh decrepit structures and inject young blood into ageing souls,” he added.

       He said the approach taken by the state to include the young by giving them a platform to broach ideas and vocalise their thoughts is a wise and constructive move.

       “Every vision, idea, aspiration and plan can only be realised if it is administered by a trustworthy, sincere, honest and transparent machinery.

       “These goals can only be achieved if an administration observes a very high level of integrity, that is transparent, free from corruption and abuse of power, accountable to the people, more so accountable to Allah,” he added.