J.C. Jacobsen Foundation advocates clean water for balanced river ecosystems

Rawang, November 29, 2014 – J.C. Jacobsen Foundation, the charity outreach of Carlsberg Malaysia, believes that everyone has a role to play in preserving natural water resources as clean water is important to the livelihood of human kind. As part of its advocacy, the Foundation hosted a day out for 60 volunteers to make Sungai Kanching of Templer’s Park a cleaner environment as well as to raise the awareness of river ecosystems.

The volunteers, comprised of Chairman of J.C. Jacobsen Foundation Dato’ Lim Say Chong, together with Carlsberg Malaysia employees and members from two non-government organisations (NGO), Kelah Association of Malaysia (KAGUM) and Rotary Club of Bangsar, rolled up their sleeves to clean up the riverbanks. Throughout the half-day community work, volunteers learned about the freshwater fishes and species, enjoyed the fresh air and beautiful scenery of the river steams and the importance of river ecosystem around Templer’s Park.

“The Foundation, since its launch in June this year, has been actively engaging with various NGOs on means to make our environment a better, cleaner and sustainable one. Focusing on water conservation, we’ve disbursed a total cash sponsorship of RM30,000 to few NGOs in support of the upgrading and cleaning of the Sungai Liam waterfall in Ulu Yam and Sungai Kanching river in Templer’s Park. We believe that it is important to build awareness and inculcate the mindset of water conservation by experiencing the cause amongst our employees and volunteers of NGOs in order to deliver greater impact,” said Dato’ Lim.

“We are pleased to work with KAGUM and Rotary Club of Bangsar to make Sungai Kanching at Templer’s Park a safe and cleaner environment for visitors. Besides getting their hands dirty, so to speak, today’s initiative also gave our volunteers the chance to deepen their knowledge of Malaysian rivers as a source of water and habitat,” he added.

According to KAGUM representative Bob Chang, rivers in Malaysia are an important natural habitat to many exotic and unique fishes, which can only be found in this part of the world. With increased urban development, many rivers have been either polluted or eroded, which in turn are affecting the ecosystem.

Michael Pua, Vice President of Rotary Club of Bangsar, said it was important that the younger generation learned to appreciate mother nature at an early stage in their lives, as this would instill a spirit of conservation and preservation.

According to volunteer Alex Leong, the cleaning day was meaningful as everyone played a part to make the river a cleaner place. “Each of us came back with a huge bag full of rubbish. One volunteer even found a lost handbag that has money and identity card in it, which he sent to the park’s official,” Leong said.

This is not the first time that the Foundation has organised an environment-related programme for its volunteers. In September this year, the Foundation took 80 volunteers to the Sungai Liam waterfall in Ulu Yam to rejuvenate and refresh the area.

About J. C. Jacobsen Foundation

J. C. Jacobsen Foundation was launched in June 2014, as a community outreach and an extension of the robust Corporate Social Responsibility program of Carlsberg Malaysia. The Foundation was named after the founder of Carlsberg, J.C. Jacobsen, who was known for his deep passion for philanthropy. Aimed at enhancing and protecting the quality of life of Malaysians, the Foundation is committed to brew a better and greener future by making a difference and impact to three core pillars of education, sports and environment.

About the Sungai Kanching and Templer’s Park

Sungai Kanching is located at the Templer’s Park, about 30 kilometres away from Petaling Jaya. The area is managed by Tourism Selangor and is a popular spot for picnic over the weekends. It has several waterfalls as well as facilities for visitors such as pavilions, toilets and walking paths.