Visit by HE Dr. Peter Blomeyer, Ambassador of Germany to Malaysia to Ipoh City Watch

On 25 November 2021, Ipoh City Watch will welcome the Ambassador of Germany to Malaysia, HE Dr. Peter Blomeyer who is making a week long visit to Ipoh.

According to the office of the Germany Embassy, the visit to Ipoh City Watch at Kinta Heights is to hold discussion and to understand the efforts by Ipoh City Watch in cultivating recycling culture and promoting low carbon emission in Ipoh.

During his visit to Kinta Heights, we will invite HE Dr. Peter to plant a tree there to commemorate his visit. The tree selected is a bamboo tree. 

Earlier this year, 4 trees have been planted here at Kinta Heights which include 2 Brazilian Iron Trees and 2 Tecoma Trees.

The visit by HE Dr. Peter Blomeyer is to meet the President of Ipoh City Watch to discuss about environmental and low carbon emission efforts undertaken by Ipoh City Watch. During His Excellency visit to Ipoh City Watch at Kinta Heights, we will showcase some of our works done over the past 6 years.

Welcome. Selamat Datang. Willkomen HE Dr. Peter Blomeyer.

About Bamboo Tree:

Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants in the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, but it probably comes from the Dutch or Portuguese language, which originally borrowed it from Malay or Kannada.

In bamboo, as in other grasses, the internodal regions of the stem are usually hollow and the vascular bundles in the cross-section are scattered throughout the stem instead of in a cylindrical arrangement. The dicotyledonous woody xylem is also absent. The absence of secondary growth wood causes the stems of monocots, including the palms and large bamboos, to be columnar rather than tapering.

Bamboos include some of the fastest-growing plants in the world, due to a unique rhizome-dependent system. Certain species of bamboo can grow 910 mm (36 in) within a 24-hour period, at a rate of almost 40 mm (1+1⁄2 in) an hour (equivalent to 1 mm every 90 seconds). This rapid growth and tolerance for marginal land, make bamboo a good candidate for afforestation, carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation.

Bamboos are of notable economic and cultural significance in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and East Asia, being used for building materials, as a food source, and as a versatile raw product. Bamboo, like wood, is a natural composite material with a high strength-to-weight ratio useful for structures. Bamboo's strength-to-weight ratio is similar to timber, and its strength is generally similar to a strong softwood or hardwood timber.

Source:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamboo

Plant Trees Save Our Future Generations Tree Tagging Project at Taman Pakatan Jaya, Ipoh

10 Oct 2021

The Ipoh City Councillor (MBI) has planted 88 trees as part of the 1,500 pledged for 2021 at Taman Pakatan Jaya in Ipoh. This is part of the Perak Bumi Lestari Project which aims to plant 1 million trees by 2030. It is also in line with MBI’s Low Carbon City 2030 mission.

Three organisations, the Lions Club of Perak Silver State, Lions Club of Hillview Cameron Highlands and The Loyal Academy Sdn. Bhd. have teamed up to carry out tree tagging with Laminated QR Code on all the 88 trees in order to create awareness and educate the public on the importance of planting trees as well as to provide information about the trees planted and its carbon dioxide sequestration ability.

By scanning the QR code, the public will the be linked to a website containing the information about the trees planted.

Two major types of trees planted here include; the tembusu or Fragraea fragrans and the Bunga Tanjung or Mimusops elengi.

The tembusu or Fragraea fragrans can grow up to 25m tall. The wood can last over a hundred years, particularly as termites and beetles do not eat this kind of wood. The tree yields a high quality timber and an excellent fuel and charcoal. It is planted in reforestation and soil stabilization programmes and is also often planted as an ornamental and shade tree in parks and along roads.

The Bunga Tanjung or Mimusops elengi has other common names which include Spanish cherry, medlar, and bullet wood. Its timber is valuable, the fruit is edible, and it is used in traditional medicine. As the trees give thick shade and flowers emit fragrance, it is a prized collection of gardens. The tree can grow up to 16m with 1m circumference.

According to Dr. Richard Ng, Organising Chairman of the project who is also MBI’s Councillor, the trees are planted on the road reserved land, to provide shades and greenery to the surrounding areas. When matured within 5 to 10 years, each tree weighing 1,000 kg will be able to absorb about 3,670 kg CO2 a year. This means that these 88 trees will be able to absorb about 322,960 kg of CO2 a year and produce 120,000 kg of O2.

The temperature in this area will be much lower. The environment will be much greener with more oxygen produced making those people from about 1,000 households living here become healthier. Of course the price of the property will also increase as a result.

Thus, we hope that the people will appreciate what MBI is doing. They should help protect the trees here rather than destroying and replacing them with mango and rambutan trees.

The trees were planted along Laluan Hulu Bercham 1 as shown below:

 

These trees form part of the Perak Lestari 1,000,000 million trees programme and also the MBI Low Carbon City projects to save our planet Earth. Trees help to absorb carbon emission and lower earth temperature. Effort must be made to reduce the earth temperature to not more than 2 degrees Celcius.

The impact of global warming is real and climate change is already happening now. By 2050 if nothing is done, climate change will cause disaster worse than thee covid-19 pandemic now.

Each tree will be tied with a tag which contain information about the tree planted and when it was planted by MBI.

Two variety of trees were planted here. According to MBI Town and Landscape Department, the two types of trees are:

1. The tembusu or Fragraea fragrans

2. The Bunga Tanjung or Mimusops elengi

The tagging of trees come in the form of Lamintaed Card with QR code linking to this website.

1. The tembusu or Fragraea fragrans Tree

The tembusu is a large evergreen tree in the family Gentianaceae, native to Southeast Asia (from Indo-China to New Guinea). It is the Malay name for Cyrtophyllum fragrans (synonym Fagraea fragrans).

Its trunk is dark brown, with deeply fissured bark, looking somewhat like a bittergourd. The tree grows in an irregular shape from 10 to 25 metres high, with light green oval-shaped leaves, and yellowish flowers with a distinct fragrance. The fruits of the tree are bitter tasting red berries, which are eaten by Pteropus fruit bats.

The trunk of this tree can produce very hard wood that can be used to make chopping boards.

The wood can last over a hundred years, particularly as termites and weevils do not eat this kind of wood. People always use this wood for creating the floors of their homes and love to sleep on it.

The tree yields a high quality timber and an excellent fuel and charcoal. It is planted in reforestation and soil stabilization programmes and is also often planted as an ornamental and shade tree in parks and along roads.

For details: Fragraea Fragrans

2. The Bunga Tanjung or Mimusops elengi

Mimusops elengi is a medium-sized evergreen tree found in tropical forests in South Asia, Southeast Asia and northern Australia. English common names include Spanish cherry, medlar, and bullet wood. Its timber is valuable, the fruit is edible, and it is used in traditional medicine. As the trees give thick shade and flowers emit fragrance, it is a prized collection of gardens.

Its flower is the provincial flower of Yala Province, Thailand, as well as the city flower of Ampang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.

Bullet wood is an evergreen tree reaching a height of about 16 m (52 ft). It flowers in April, and fruiting occurs between June and October. The leaves are glossy, dark green, oval-shaped, 5–14 cm (2.0–5.5 in) long, and 2.5–6 cm (0.98–2.36 in) wide. The flowers are cream, hairy, and scented. The fruits are fleshy, range in color between yellow and brown, and contain a large brown seed. The pulp has a yellow color and it is edible. The bark of the tree is thick and appears dark brownish black or grayish black in colour, with striations and a few cracks on the surface. The tree may reach up to a height of 9–18 m (30–59 ft) with about 1 m (3 ft 3 in) in circumference.

For details: Mimusops elengi

Green Our Earth Save Our Future Generations Tree Planting Programme at St. Michael School, Ipoh

12 Aug 2021:

The Lions Club of Perak Silver State (LCPSS) and Ipoh City Council in collaboration with St. Michael Institution (SMI) organised a tree planting programme to plant four more trees.

Under the theme “Green OUR Earth Save Our Future Generations”, the campaign aims at creating awareness among the society especially students on the importance of planting trees. Tree planting helps in carbon emission and reduce earth temperature.

The campaign held in conjunction with Merdeka Month will also involve the flag raising in front of the school to show our patriotism towards our beloved country. Guest of honour is YB Leong Cheok Keng, State Assemblyman for Malim Nawar and Advisor for Chinese Community Affair for Minister of Housing and Local Government.

Four trees will be planted which consists of 3 Mempari (or Pongamia Pinnata) trees and 1 Yellow Flame (Peltophorum pterocarpum) tree. 

The tree planting is part of LCPSS environmental project aims to save our planet earth and mitigate climate change as stated in United Nation Sustainable Goal number 13. LCPSS aim to plant 100 trees by end of 2021.

 To date LCPSS have planted 28 trees since August 2020 and benefitted over 10,000 people. The campaign is also part of Ipoh City Council’s objective of planting 1,500 trees a year. This is to fulfil its mission of achieving a Low Carbon City by 2030. Each tree planted is given a QR Code that contains information about who planted and when planted, name of tree and its detailed information. It will later be link to Ipoh City Council innovative award winning Ez3 system of identification trees in Ipoh.

Mempari Tree (Pongamia Pinnata)

Yellow Flame tree (Peltophorum pterocarpum)

Present to support our campaign is Guest of Honour YB Leong Cheok Keng, who is also the State Assemblyman for Malim Nawar and Advisor of Chinese Community Affair for Minister of Housing and Local Government. Also present include Ipoh City Councillor for Zone 8, Mohammad Iskandar Abdul Rahman and SMI Principal, Sit Wai Yin.

Three Mempari trees (Pongamia Pinnata) and one Yellow Flame tree (Peltophorum pterocarpum) costing RM600 each were provided by Ipoh City Council. These trees when matured after 10 years are capable of absorbing 3,400 kg of CO2 per year. These trees absorb CO2 and produce Oxygen during photosynthesis thus give us fresh air and more oxygen. To date the city of Ipoh has over 200,000 trees of different species. 

Details of Yellow Flame Tree or Pelthophorum pterocarpum can be found in this link:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peltophorum_pterocarpum

Description of Tree:

It is a deciduous tree growing to 15–25 m (rarely up to 50 m) tall, with a trunk diameter of up to 1 m belonging to Family Leguminosae and sub-family Caesalpiniaceaea. The leaves are bipinnate, 30–60 cm long, with 16–20 pinnae, each pinna with 20–40 oval leaflets 8–25 mm long and 4–10 mm broad. The flowers are yellow, 2.5–4 cm diameter, produced in large compound raceme up to 20 cm long. Pollens are approximately 50 microns in size.

Name of Tree: Yellow Flame Tree (Peltophorum pterocarpum) The fruit is a pod 5–10 cm long and 2.5 cm broad, red at first, ripening black, and containing one to four seeds. Trees begin to flower after about four years.

Details of Mempari (Pongamia Pinnata):

Features: The tree grows to 6-15m tall. The compound leaves appear in two rows, each heart-shaped leaflet is shiny, dark green and thinly leathery. The flowers look like those of bean plants, and are lilac, appearing in bunches on a stalk. Tiny insects seem attracted to the flowers. Fruits are flat bean-like pods that are somewhat oval with a little beak at the tip, appearing in bunches. Each pod contains one seed.

Human uses: The leaves are fed to livestock. The bark is used to make string and rope. Although the seeds are poisonous, an oil extracted from them (called Pongamol or hongay oil) is used for lighting, to manufacture soap and candles, and in medicinal uses. The roots and seeds are used as a fish poison in Australia and Indonesia. Various parts of the trees are also used in traditional medicine.. According to Tomlinson and Giesen, the tree is often planted as a shade tree along roads, but Corners says it is rarely planted in Malaya.

 

Rewarding Vaccinated Senior Citizens with Food Basket

 30 July 2021:

To date, more than 80 percent of the population age 18 and above in the Kinta District have registered for covid-19 vaccination. Of these, less than 40 percent have received 1 dos and about 20 percent are fully vaccinated.

In order to encourage more people to register and get vaccinated so that we can achieve a herd immunity with 80 percent fully vaccinated, Lions Club of Perak Silver State in collaboration with Ipoh City Council tracked residents especially senior citizens in Pasir Pinji to register for vaccination.

According to Club President, Dr. Richard Ng who is also the Ipoh City Councillor for Pasir Pinji, the tracking was carried out from house to house while providing groceries to needy in Pasir Pinji two months ago under the MBI Caring scheme. With the help of People’s Representative Committee (JPP), we will enquire if the recipients and their family members have registered and received the vaccination.

“I was surprised to find many of them have not done so especially among the senior citizens. Among the reasons given include their inability to register via MySejahtera apps as they have no smartphone, lack of knowledge, no access to internet and also uncertainties due to too many anti-vaxxers stories that have scared them.”

“I then got my team from Lions Club of Perak Silver State (LCPSS) together with JPP members to bring along the Vaccination registration form and register them instantly.”

“I told them that once they have received the covid vaccination we will provide them incentives in the form of more groceries and other necessities contributed by Ipoh City Council and LCPSS.”

We delivered our promise by providing food basket to the first 30 recipients recently held at the Pasir Pinji Community Hall. Pasir Pinji Police Chief, SM Ramlee Bin Isa, have kindly consented to give away the food baskets to 20 recipients and the remainder were sent directly to their home.

#MBI_Prihatin   #WeServe   #HungerRelief   #ZonPasirPinji

Green Our Earth Save Our Future Generations - Dewan Komuniti Pasir Pinji

 30 July 2021

Lions Club of Perak Silver and Ipoh City Watch will be collaborating with Ipoh City Council to plant Two Merawan Siput (Hopea Odorata) trees within the compound of Dewan Komuniti Pasir Pinji, Jln Sultan, Pasir Pinji to replace 2 trees which have fallen due to strong wind in April 2021.

This is an environmental project by the club to assist the Ipoh City Council to achieve the planting 1,500 trees in Ipoh by end of 2021. Under the slogan "Green Our Earth Save Our Future Generations, the project hopes to create awareness to the public on the importance of planting trees to increase carbon sequestration, reduce earth temperature and improve air quality. 

Mooted by Clr. Dr. Richard Ng, who is also the Ipoh City Councillor for Zone 14 Pasir Pinji, he wanted to make Pasir Pinji a low carbon zone by planting more trees. He hope that the people will support this effort so as to preserve our environment and help reduce carbon emission which have great impact on Climate Change by 2050.

The trees supplied by the Landscape Department are called Hopea Odorata or Merawan Siput, which is a native tree grown in Malaysian forest. It can grow up to 35m and able to absorb more than 4,600 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year.

This is tree number 23 and 24 respectively planted by Clr Dr. Richard Ng and Tuan SM Ramlee Bin Isa.