KUALA LUMPUR: What does a tree mean to you?
This was the question posed to participants of the Merdeka Sustainability Awards, organised by Sustainability Roundtable in conjunction with Merdeka Day on Aug 31.
The question, posed before the launch of the awards, sought to urge participants to ponder and respond in 50 words on the subject that trees are the earth’s endless effort to speak to people.
The competition drew entries from all over the country, with many portraying the tree for the values it represents in each part of its formation – leaves, branches, the trunk and right down to its roots.
Eidlan Bin Mazlan Hanafi, Adrian-Jon Wong Jovi and Nasip Khor a/p Chanan Singh came out as the top three winners, bagging RM10,000 each.
The five consolation prizes of an iPad each went to Joseph Leong Xin Jia, V. Thomas, Marie Woon, Mark Woon Tian Kiat and Foeizah Bt Abdul Khalid.
The prize-giving ceremony was held at a leading hotel in Kuala Lumpur with history dating back to Malaysia’s independence era and before.
Sustainability Roundtable chief executive officer Datuk Sri G Gnanaraja saluted the patriotic spirit reflected in the entries.
“It showed how citizens of the country were concerned with raising the bar through a new positive commitment, coupled with social and environmental initiatives in keeping our surroundings intact.
“It clearly shows there has to be a joint effort between the private and public sector in sustaining what we have in this country. The winners delivered commendable work,” he said.
Caption: Gnanaraja (centre) flanked by the winners of the Merdeka Sustainability Awards. They are (from left) Marie Woon Xian Mei, Mark Woon Tian Kiat, Adrian-Jon Wong Jovi, Nasip Khor a/p Chanan Singh, and Adlin Hani Mazlan Hanafi