Brunei's Conservationist Wins 2015 ASEAN Green Award

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 1 (Bernama) -- Bruneian Liaw Lin Ji, 27, the founder and President of Biodiversity and Natural History Society (BruWILD) was announced the winner of the ASEAN Green Award 2015 which came with US$5,000 (RM21,277) cash. Liaw beat nine other young green technopreneurs and young contributors for the Green Growth Development in the Asean region. BruWILD, promotes the preservation of the natural beauty of Brunei, besides building a sustainable future has more than 20 trained biologist and conservationist working together in educating the public to advocate the importance and functionalities of the ecosystem in their daily lives, she told Bernama after receiving the award. Malaysian Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Mah Siew Keong presented the awards. Liaw, a biologist set up BruWILD in August 2013, and has been providing educational support to local schools, institutions, nature groups and wildlife enthusiasts. Meanwhile, Chanamon Leknamnarong, the manager of Earth Home Thailand won second place and US$3,000 (RM12,765) for promoting ecotourism in her village in Chiangmai. Through the family's homestay Maejo Earth Home, Leknamnarong, 29, promotes natural resources construction materials, sustainable living, organic farming to the local community and tourists. Third place was won by Malaysia's Dr Sumathi Sethupathi who won US$2,000 (RM 8,512) for her research in converting solid waste from the fishing industry, such as shrimp, cockle and crab shells to value added products used to remove oily residue in the wastewater generated by the palm oil industry. Sumathi, 37, who is assistant professor at University of Tunku Abdul Rahman, is now moving on to research on solution for air and noise pollution. The award, launched in 2011 by the Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce (MCCC) and the ASEAN Academy of Engineering and Technology (AAET), was to recognise outstanding technopreneurs and contributors to green growth development under the age of 40. -- BERNAMA