By Jerry Choong
SHAH ALAM, Oct 27 — The recent Gulf Sustainability Awards 2022 achievement by state subsidiary Landasan Lumayan Sdn Bhd (LLSB) is given further recognition of its efforts to restore Sungai Klang under the Selangor Maritime Gateway (SMG) urban rejuvenation project, said Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari.
He said the idea of creating a riverine economy by transforming a dying river was initially met with scepticism at its inception.
“Yet we have shown it can be done, and I am proud the SMG initiative continues to attract international support.
“This award further stamps our journey towards building the SMG Economic Development Zone (ZPE SMG), as identified under the First Selangor Plan,” Amirudin said in a statement.
He added that being recognised amongst other world-class players reflects Selangor’s commitment to becoming a capable agent of change.
“The SMG project is about balancing progress with conservation and finding sustainable regenerative values for Sungai Klang,” Amirudin said.
LLSB’s efforts to transform Sungai Klang under the SMG project have been recognised with the Silver Award for the Best Government Sustainability Initiative, during a ceremony in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates on Monday (October 24).
LLSB managing director Syaiful Azmen Nordin represented the organisation at the awards ceremony.
Leading up to the awards ceremony, the SMG project was presented to a panel of judges who appreciated the challenges of transitioning a polluted river into a new river-based economy in a sustainable manner.
The ZPE SMG master plan was designed to spur new social and economic growth along Sungai Klang, which includes elements of sustainable living and job creation that will be developed via new business and tourism initiatives while retaining its environmental integrity.
The Gulf Sustainability Awards aims to recognise, reward, and promote outstanding sustainability initiatives across the globe. Hosted by Awards International, the Gulf Sustainability Awards 2022 recognised the contributions of award recipients across 22 categories under four main sections. These include environmental sustainability, corporate social responsibility excellence, micro-business, and people in sustainability.
SMG is a key sustainability initiative that was launched in 2018 by the state government, serving as a long-term project that is not solely limited to cleaning up Sungai Klang.
Its overarching objectives include the river’s revival, rehabilitation, and rejuvenation as a key economic generator for Selangor, encompassing some 56 km of downstream Sungai Klang and an estimated 27,960 hectares of the surrounding land.
LLSB is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the state government’s investment arm Menteri Besar Selangor (Incorporated).
