| Universiti Putra Malaysia

UPM-Mitsubishi Corporation committed in planting trees to preserve the forest


By: Noor Eszereen Juferi
Photo: Marina Ismail

SERDANG, March 19 – Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and Mitsubishi Corporation remain committed in organizing the 25th Perak Silver Jubilee by planting 5,000 forest trees to preserve the environment.

Malaysian Landscape Chairman, Tun Jeanne Abdullah said UPM’s initiative in holding the programme was in line with the country’s climatic requirements for the planting for more trees to reduce heat.

“It is my ardent hope that through this programme, we could assist in safeguarding the ecological functions of our tropical forests which are fast diminishing,” she said when launching the 25th Silver Jubilee UPM-Mitsubishi Corporation Tree Planting Ceremony here.

Also present were General Manager of Mitsubishi Corporation Kuala Lumpur, Mr Kenji Ohta, and Deputy General Manager Mitsubishi Corporation Japan, Mr. Daisuke Tsurumi.



UPM Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Datin Paduka Dr. Aini Ideris said the tree-planting programme had seen the involvement of more than 10,000 participants since 25 years ago.

“This is UPM’s commitment in preserving and safeguarding forest trees for the use of UPM students in carrying out their scientific research at certain locations. This programme is a platform that could help instil the awareness for the environment among UPM staff and students as well as the community,” she added.

Some 20 shoots of endangered forest trees including those categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) were also planted, including balau tembaga, balau pasir, glam lintah bukit, keruling kertas, keruing latek, meranti kepong hantu, meranti damar hitam, meranti tengkawang air, meranti seraya daun besar and mersawa gajah.

About 400 volunteers from Mitsubishi Corporation and UPM lecturers and students took part in the programme by planting the species of trees around UPM’s Forestry Arboretum, Ladang 16.

Earlier, a demonstration on the combination of two forest concepts was carried out  – the model concept developed in Serdang based on the concept of vegetarian association introduced by Prof. Dr. Akira Miyawaki from Yokohama National University (YNU) and the accelerating natural vegetation concept by UPM main research fellow of the Laboratory of Sustainable

Bioresources Management (BIOREM), Institute of Tropical Forestry and Forest Product (INTROP), Dato’ Prof. Dr. Nik Muhamad Abd Majid. - UPM


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