Inaugural geopark awards bestow 30 winners

After some 18 – years, geopark operators in the country were rewarded for their efforts to conservation and meeting the Unesco criteria in becoming a geopark.

Three out of six geoparks operating in the country were bestowed with awards at the inaugural Green and Geoparks Excellence Awards at the Langkawi International Convention Centre (LICC) that was held four days ago.

They are the Sarawak Foresty Department who manages the Sarawak Delta Geopark, the Lenggong Geopark in Perak and the Langkawi Development Authority (LADA), who manages the Unesco Langkawi Geopark.

Altogether, 30 awards were given out at the gala dinner event last Saturday by Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming.

Escorting him on stage were the GAGA convenor K.Y. Pung and the tourism manager of LADA Dr Azmil Munif Mohd Bukhari.

The Sarawak Foresty Department won big by grabbing four awards for aspiring global; geopark – the state is poised to receive the Unesco standing next year; the greening Sarawak campaign, orchid conservation programme and biodiversity conservation through the world’s first use of a drone.

LADA won two awards for outstanding management and junior education programme where Lenggong also won for outstanding management of its area.

Lenggong also won for best community engagement effort for its geopark.

Incidentally Lenggong is also scheduled to be elevated into a Unesco global geopark status next year, around the same time like Sarawak Delta.

Nga praised the award winners for their foresight in sustainable initiatives.

Other award winners

Other notable geopark excellence award recipients were the Tui Blue The Haven in Ipoh for best geopark hotel and residence followed by the Adya Hotel for best geopark centric hotel award.

Other winners were Tropical Charters Sdn Bhd for the best travel operator, Tuba Island for the best geo – tourism product award, and Teow Soon Huat Duty Free Sdn Bhd for the best geopark retail award.

Datuk Seri Noordin Hashim, the owner of Noba Resort won the geopark entrepreneur award while Panorama Langkawi Sdn Bhd for its best geopark tourism product.

The person instrumental in bringing the geopark status to Langkawi, the 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 status, called FLAG.

Pung said that the winners were adjudged for their commitment towards upholding the geopark principles in sustainability and community engagement.

Geopark is not just confined to the study of geology heritage and its rock fossils, but a larger picture of the habitat it stands tall in.

Within the habitat for example in Langkawi, there is a constant effort to preserve the mangroves, beaches, forest reserves and community engagement such as the competition of waste to art for schoolchildren in the island resort.

For the green excellence awards; the winners were Sabah Tourism Board for its best CSR project and best sustainable and inclusive marketing campaign.

There were also the Green Entrepreneur Leadership In Hospitality Industry Award for Adjunct Professor Anthony Wong, who headed the GAGA jury panel for green award recipients.

The Penang Green Council won two excellence awards in community – led green initiative award and youth green leadership award.

Penang Port Sdn Bhd under the stewardship of its chief executive officer Datuk Sasedharan Vasudevan won two awards of green organisation of the year and its biodiversity in mangrove plant project.

Below are the rest of the winners:

Menawar Resources Sdn Bhd – green award for sustainable landscaping

SWCorp Malaysia for corporate sustainability green award

e – idaman DTRC – green sustainable product award

e – idamanXchange – green innovative award

Bella Vista Waterfront Hotel – best family orientated resort

Datuk Nancy Yeoh of Stylo fashion show brand – sustainable fashion icon

former Penang executive councillor Datuk Seri Phee Boon Poh – green personality award

Dato’ Dr Mohd Azhar Abdul Hamid – green leadership award.