Many firms, folks committed to 'lights off' bid
Koh Lay Chin, New Straits Times 22 Mar 09;
IT will be Malaysia's first Earth Hour try next Saturday at 8.30pm, and how will it stack up against other countries' inaugural attempts? Will Malaysians turn off their switches?
Judging by the endorsements from the government, the private sector and the public in the months leading up to next week's one-hour "blackout", the effort may be one to be proud of.
As more companies and ministries pledge their support to Earth Hour, promotional videos and materials have been making their rounds in newspapers, television, radio and cyberspace.
Thousands of individuals have signed up online, such as on the Earth Hour website and Facebook.
World Wide Fund For Nature-Malaysia (WWF Malaysia), which is spearheading the initiative, is pleased with the co-operation and support from so many quarters.
The individuals and corporations have willingly donated their time, talents and resources without asking for a penny, says WWF Malaysia Earth Hour project manager Devan Subramaniam.
"There are a lot of good folks out there. We had a limited budget but we got (advertising agency) Leo Burnett and (director and Earth Hour ambassador) Yasmin Ahmad onboard quickly. The government's support also came very easily," he said.
Iconic landmarks in Kuala Lumpur such as the Kuala Lumpur City Centre, the Sultan Abdul Samad building and Kuala Lumpur Tower have promised to honour Earth Hour. The lights on Penang Bridge will also be turned off.
Penang, Shah Alam, Kota Kinabalu and the Federal Territories are committed to the "lights off" move, which aims to promote environmental awareness and is a symbol of the fight against global warming.
The impressive list of corporate organisations on board include Media Prima Bhd, HSBC Amanah Bhd, PricewaterhouseCoopers, YTL Corporation Berhad and major hotels such as Mandarin Oriental Hotel KL and Hilton KL, as well as Klang Valley's major shopping malls.
But as the pledges of support continue to roll in, some quarters have expressed misgivings about the endeavour, calling it merely a symbolic affair or publicity stunt which has to be supported by actual efforts for the environment.
"I don't want to sound like a spoilsport, but this is all a little cliched. Some people may turn off their lights for an hour but will leave their air-conditioners on unnecessarily, wash their cars three times a week and waste paper," says engineer Anne Tan.
She says she will support Earth Hour, but hopes for more concrete green efforts.
Flashes of cynicism from the public are normal for new efforts such as Earth Hour, says Devan, but they must understand that the symbolic act is intended to spread awareness.
"There are a lot of sceptics out there, but we are not interested in them. We are interested in getting people to rethink environmental matters.
"If we can change the perception of 10 per cent of the people taking part in this, we have achieved our target."
The goal is to make Earth Hour a platform to think about green issues such as recycling, he adds.
