SHAH ALAM, May 30 — The Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj officiated the Elmina Rainforest Knowledge Centre (ERKC) at Bandar Elmina near here today.
His Royal Highness arrived at the centre at 9.50am, accompanied by the Tengku Permaisuri of Selangor Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin and the Raja Muda of Selangor Tengku Amir Shah Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah.
Sultan Sharafuddin also visited an exhibition site prepared by Sime Darby Property Berhad (Sime Darby Property) to introduce the ERKC, which began operations in October 2020.
His Royal Highness then consented to signing a plaque and launching the centre.
The Sultan, Tengku Permaisuri and Raja Muda also consented to plant Merbau saplings as a symbolic gesture for the centre’s launch.
Meanwhile, Sime Darby Property Group managing director Datuk Azmir Merican Azmi Merican said the ERKC was an initiative by the company to form its long-term sustainability plan to positively impact the environment.
Azmir Merican said the 1.09-hectare centre to be known as the ‘Gateway to Malaysia’s Natural Heritage’ would work on nature conservation, research and development, environmental education and eco-tourism.
He added that the company had spent about RM2 million to establish ERKC with the cooperation of Tropical Rainforest Conservation and Research Centre (TRCRC), a non-governmental organisation.
Azmir Merican also pointed out that in 2019, Sime Darby Property had teamed up with TRCRC to develop the Elmina Living Collection Nursery (ELCN) covering 4.04 hectares of land next to the ERKC for the cultivation and production of tree species which have been categorised as almost extinct, rare and endangered.
“Since ELCN’s inception, TRCRC has successfully grown 187 species of plants, with more than 35,000 seeds sown and 10,000 saplings in storage,” he told reporters after the launch event today.
— Bernama
