by John Chin
After some 18 years, geopark operators in the country were rewarded for their efforts in conservation and for meeting the UNESCO criteria to become a geopark.
Three out of six geoparks operating in the country were bestowed with awards at the inaugural Green and Geoparks Excellence Awards held at the Langkawi International Convention Centre (LICC).
The awardees are the Sarawak Forestry Department, which manages the Sarawak Delta Geopark, the Lenggong Geopark in Perak, and the Langkawi Development Authority (LADA), which manages the UNESCO Langkawi Geopark.
Altogether, 30 awards were presented at the gala dinner event last Saturday by Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming. Escorting him on stage were GAGA convenor K.Y. Pung and LADA’s tourism manager, Dr Azmil Munif Mohd Bukhari.
The Sarawak Forestry Department won big, securing four awards for its aspiring global geopark—the state is poised to receive UNESCO status next year—along with awards for the Greening Sarawak campaign, the orchid conservation programme, and biodiversity conservation through the world’s first use of a drone.
LADA won two awards for outstanding management and its junior education programme, while Lenggong also received an award for the outstanding management of its area.
Additionally, Lenggong was recognised for its best community engagement effort for its geopark.
Interestingly, Lenggong is also scheduled to be elevated to UNESCO global geopark status next year, around the same time as Sarawak Delta.
Nga praised the award winners for their foresight in sustainable initiatives.
Other notable recipients of geopark excellence awards included Tui Blue The Haven in Ipoh for best geopark hotel and residence, followed by the Adya Hotel for best geopark-centric hotel.
Other winners included Tropical Charters Sdn Bhd for best travel operator, Tuba Island for best geo-tourism product, and Teow Soon Huat Duty Free Sdn Bhd for best geopark retail award.
Datuk Seri Noordin Hashim, the owner of Noba Resort, won the geopark entrepreneur award, while Panorama Langkawi Sdn Bhd was recognised for its best geopark tourism product.
The individual instrumental in bringing geopark status to Langkawi, former general manager of LADA Datuk Kamarulzaman Abdul Ghani, won an award for the geopark ocean trail in Pulau Tuba.
It is Kamarulzaman’s labour of love to conserve Pulau Tuba as part of the Langkawi UNESCO geopark status.
He also heads a local non-governmental organisation devoted to conservation and preservation of the geopark, called FLAG.
Pung stated that the winners were selected for their commitment to upholding the principles of sustainability and community engagement in geoparks.
Geoparks are not just confined to the study of geological heritage and rock fossils; they encompass a broader picture of the habitats in which they stand.
For example, in Langkawi, there is a constant effort to preserve mangroves, beaches, forest reserves, and community engagement initiatives such as the waste-to-art competition for schoolchildren on the island.
For the green excellence awards, the winners included the Sabah Tourism Board for its best CSR project and best sustainable and inclusive marketing campaign.
Also awarded was the Green Entrepreneur Leadership in the Hospitality Industry Award for Adjunct Professor Anthony Wong, who headed the GAGA jury panel for the green award recipients.
The Penang Green Council won two excellence awards: the community-led green initiative award and the youth green leadership award.
Penang Port Sdn Bhd, under the stewardship of its chief executive officer Dato’ Sasedharan Vasudevan, won two awards: green organisation of the year and its biodiversity in mangrove plant project.
Menawar Resources Sdn Bhd won a green award for sustainable landscaping, SWCorp Malaysia for the corporate sustainability green award, e-idaman DTRC for its green sustainable product award, e-idamanXchange for its green innovative award, and Bella Vista Waterfront Hotel for its best family-oriented resort. Dato’ Nancy Yeoh, who founded the Stylo fashion show brand, was recognised as a sustainable fashion icon, while former Penang executive councillor Dato’ Seri Phee Boon Poh received the green personality award, and Dato’ Dr Mohd Azhar Abdul Hamid won the green leadership award.
