Turn Off Lights During Earth Hour Saturday

By Kisho Kumari
KUALA LUMPUR, March 26 (Bernama) - The Earth Hour campaign is here again.

To mark the event, several landmarks including skyscrapers, universities and
shopping malls will participate in Earth Hour 2011 Saturday, when their lights
are switched off for an hour, beginning 8.30pm.

The move is aimed at addressing concerns on global warming and climate
change.

Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC), Petronas Twin Towers, Suria KLCC shopping
mall, petrol stations, Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), Universiti Putra Malaysia
(UPM), National Planetarium, Stesen Sentral Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Airports,
Tune Hotels, Kuala Lumpur Tower and Sunway Pyramid shopping mall have pledged to
support the campaign.

PWTC marketing/communication director Fadzilah Said said non-essential
lights
would be turned off for an hour, including lights at the Menara Dato Onn.

"We will try our best to reduce lighting as much as possible although
certain unavoidable events have clocked in," she told Bernama here Friday.

TNB chief executive officer Che Khalib Mohamad Noh said in a
statement that saving the planet should go beyond the symbolic switching off, of
non-essential lights for 60 minutes.

"Make wise usage of electricity as our lifestyle. It is as easy as turning
off lights and other electrical appliances when not in use, and setting the
thermostat of the air-conditioning system between 22 and 26 degrees Celsius," he
said.

Young Liberals & Democrats of Asia (YLDA) president Hng Chee Wey said the
support (for Earth Hour) should also be carried out throughout one's entire
life to protect Mother Earth.

"...Earth Hour should be a time for us to reflect on our daily habits and
actions which hurt the environment.

"Although it might be only a small step in our lives, it makes a huge
difference for the entire world when everyone cooperates," said the Gerakan
Youth deputy secretary-general.

Meanwhile, Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad (MRCB) chief executive
officer Mohamed Razeek Hussain said in a statement that the iconic Stesen
Sentral Kuala Lumpur, as well as Shah Alam property, Plaza Alam Sentral, would
be taking part in the campaign.

"As a builder, MRCB has an obligation to help create awareness on global
warming but instead of only creating awareness, we have decided to take a more
pro-active approach by incorporating sustainable elements in property
development," he said.

Malaysia Airports has also pledged to 'power off' 30 per cent of the
terminal ceiling lights at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport's (KLIA) Main
Terminal Building, Contact Pier, Satellite Building and LCCT-KLIA.

Malaysia Airports (Sepang) Sdn Bhd general manager Mohammad Suhaimi Abdul
Mubin said KLIA would be conserving 194 kilowatt while LCCT-KLIA would see a
saving of 43.5 kilowatt for the one-hour period.

The campaign becomes even more interesting as Tune Hotels rooms in Malaysia
will go on offer from as low as RM5 per night and Rp 50,000 (RM17) for rooms in
Bali, Indonesia for a stay in April.

Group chief executive officer Mark Lankester said the booking would begin
from tomorrow till March 31, and was only available online at
www.tunehotels.com.

Earth Hour is an annual event where households and businesses are invited to
turn off their non-essential lights and electrical appliances for one hour to
raise awareness on the climate change issue and as a symbolic sign for
environment sustainability.