SIBU: The inaugural state level Earth Hour celebration will be held here in Sibu for the first-time next year.
This was revealed by Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) chairman Clarence Ting Ing Horh during a live broadcast of the Earth Hour celebration, here last Saturday night (Mar 27).
Ting said Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian had given his consent to the proposal to organise the event next year.
“MPS has been organising this event since 2009. Next year on March 27 we will do the same but it is held on a larger scale for the entire state,” he said.
Taking up the challenge, Ting said they wanted to show Sarawak how the council was aware of the importance of caring for the environment and keeping Sibu clean.
He said SMC started holding the event 12 years ago as it recognises the importance of preservation and conservation as well as cleanliness in the community.
“Past administrations have done well in organising this event,” he asserted.
Elaborating further on the event, he said that turning off the light for an hour symbolically helped motivate the younger generation to do what is necessary to protect the earth.
“We the older ones should tell the younger generation about the importance of keeping the environment and home clean, and instilling a healthy lifestyle because when they grow up, they will have new priorities,” he stressed.
He explained that the event was also organised by Junior Chamber International (JCI) Sibu and was an SMC project themed ‘Climate Change To Save Earth’.
“To make this programme a success, some street lights in the city centre are also turned off for an hour,” he said.
Ting further explained that the Earth Hour event is also held simultaneously around the world organised by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).
The event, he explained, is held annually to encourage individuals, communities, and businesses to turn off the lights for an hour from 8.30pm to 9.30pm on certain days towards the end of March as a symbol of commitment to the planet.
