KUALA LUMPUR: The Friends of Bukit Kiara (FoBK) will hold Earth Day KL 2019 celebrations at Taman Lembah Kiara tomorrow.
Their key objective is to boost public awareness to preserve Bukit Kiara as a green lung and managed it within a government-community collaborative framework.
FoBK president Dr Kribanandan Gurusamy Naidu said the government must commit itself to a people-centric approach to protect the forested and park areas of Bukit Kiara against future development.
“It must put in place a dynamic and responsive management framework that is capable of realising Bukit Kiara’s full potential to be the nation’s premier urban green lung, and a model for public green spaces,” he added.
Kribanandan said the non-fulfilment of the original intents for Bukit Kiara (after expending much time and resources spent in the 1980s and beyond) was a shame.
“But, at the same time, very much remains salvageable still,” he added.
Kribanandan the activities planned for the event included fun walks, talks and workshops.
He said the broader context of the celebration was to encourage Malaysians to advocate and clamour for greater accountability in protecting the nation’s green spaces for future generations.
“This must come from learning to appreciate and enjoy our national heritage and getting perspectives on how a people’s movement like FoBK could shape the future of our country’s green lungs,” he said.
“The event venue, Taman Lembah Kiara, is one of the components that were conceptualised to make Bukit Kiara a complete/holistic outdoor recreation, catering to people from all walks of life and age groups.”
Earth Day KL 2019 is organised in collaboration with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) with the support of Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), National Landscape Department (JLN) and the office of the member of parliament for Segambut.
FoBK is a non-profit organisation registered under the Registrar of Societies in 2014. It started in the 1990s as the green lung lobby group of the Taman Tun Dr Ismail Residents Association.
FoBK was set up to garner public support to preserve the Bukit Kiara Green Lung, a former rubber estate acquired by the Federal Government in 1975.