Date Posted: 03 Sep 2010

TAWAU: The Rotary Club of Tawau Tanjung, together with Junior Chamber International Tawau (JCI Tawau) and Tawau Municipal Council (TMC), have pledged their support for the second installation of 100,000 Effective Microorganisms (EM) Mudball Campaign in Tawau, to be launched on October 2.Tawau is surrounded by the Celebes Sea, well-endowed with a natural habitat for prawn and fish farming, which remain the core economic activities. It is also the largest agro-tourism destination in Sabah with major attractions such as Maliau Basin Conservation Area (Sabah’s Lost World).

Equally sanguine to duplicate the successful environmental efforts in Lahad Datu, TMC, Rotary Club of Tawau Tanjung, Junior Chamber International Tawau (JCI Tawau) and together with Scents of Borneo will push forward the education and importance on ‘Loving Our Only Living Environment’.

TMC president Ismail Mayakob, Enviro Jamof Sdn Bhd, Lahad Datu Flour Mill Sdn Bhd, various associations, clubs and private corporations have pledged their support for the event as well.

TMC, which started the anti-litterbug campaign in 2009, is resilient in its enforcement of transforming Tawau into a clean city. With the success of the 100,000 EM Mudball Campaign in Lahad Datu, Ismail was prompt in supporting the second installation of this campaign.

“It is our jurisdiction to ensure the cleanliness of Tawau town and her surrounding waters and gardens, not just for the general well-being and spirit of our residents but also importance of sanitation and civic-mindedness. Hence, my council and I strongly backed this effort, and it is made more significant with initiatives from private and non-governmental organizations,” said Ismail.

His speech was delivered by the newly inaugurated president of the Rotary Club of Tawau Tanjung, Rotarian Steven Ong, at a press conference here yesterday afternoon.

The organising chairman for this campaign is Leong Horng En.

The Founder of Scents of Borneo (SOB), Clarence Chiuh, said Tawau is among the first to make a stand for the environment and aims to educate the people to keep the water clean and never pollute the environment.

Clarence said it is an environment awareness program with the theme of ‘Love Tawau, Love Our Environment’. The campaign will be carried out along the coastal highway from Ba Zhong Commercial Center to the fishery market here. The mudballs will be thrown to the sea in order to clean up the water.

Steven added, “Through the network of Rotary Club, Interact Club in affiliated schools, we want to perpetuate the motto ‘Service Above Self’ – in the community, in the workplace, and throughout the world.

“Organizing 100,000 EM Mudball Campaign in Tawau is not a parade, it is a commencement of re-education for the public, an awareness of something intrinsic, that every action of human is a result of today’s environment.

“The mudball campaign marks the first shot, while the follow-up actions will require the cohesive stamina for the long marathon ahead.”

Co-organizer JCI Tawau president JC Paul Liang encouraged the members, volunteers, non-governmental organisations, high schools, churches and clubs to join in making mudballs.

“Junior Chamber International with its worldwide federation of young leaders and entrepreneurs, has always propagated our values, of which ‘Service to humanity is the best work of life’ remains our motto.

“Hence, the incorporation of Corporate and Social Responsibility (CSR) since 2005; which advocates a concept that encourages companies to integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations.

“We want our youth leaders to participate in the mudball campaign, to root the importance of social responsibilities through good environmental practices and public awareness program,” he said.

Scents of Borneo Tawau spokesperson David Yip summed up, “A belief remains one when no action transpire. Using genuine Effective Micro-organisms in cleaning the waterways, and EM Mudballs to reduce sludge and smell is part of our relentless efforts in educating the public that social responsibilities does not lie with the policy makers alone. They too, need concerted effort from citizens, corporations, NGOs and more to address and practice simple task of conserving the environment, and in this case, using an inexpensive method.

“Application of EM is not limited to public venues. It can also be used in and around the house, hospitals, hotels, offices, plantations, farmland and so forth. We will not rest our laurels in sharing the countless usage of EM in replacement of chemicals.”

SOB is the first company in east coast of Sabah to initiate and assist the local community to ‘close the gap’ through sustainable backyard planting and in an environmentally responsible manner, to gain additional knowledge, productivity and cost efficiency improvement, in a viable and profitable manner.

SOB, together with its sister company, Kedai Bintang Emas, has its core business areas in organic by-products such as organic essential oils, soap, fertilizers, herbal planting, cattle farming and is currently the top distributor of EM-1 in east coast of Sabah.

EM mudballs are made of top soil into which wheat bran and activated EM-1 (EMAS) will be added. After kneading the three main materials into the shape of a ball, it is left to ferment for a week before use. They are used to clean up bodies of water such as rivers, lakes and oceans where there are concentrated deposits of sludge and slime (the cause for bad odour).

(Source: The Borneo Post, 02 Sep 2010)