4 theSun | MONDAY JULY 27 2009

news without borders

Green technology for

sustainable development
Malaysia to be regional
by Eva Yeong
newsdesk@thesundaily.com

KUALA LUMPUR: Scientists

maintain unsustainable develop-
ment is one of the main causes
of global warming and natural
catastrophes, the occurrences
of which cause huge losses to
governments, an engineer told a
conference on green opportuni-
ties recently.
Therefore, it would be
cheaper and more economical
to enforce green technology to
support sustainable develop-
ment with the government
being the most appropriate
prime mover of the initiative,
said Fu Wing Hoong,
who is president of
the Electrical and
Electronics Associa-
tion of Malaysia.
The local
construction
industry output
is worth RM50
billion a year
which accounts
for 3-5% of gross
domestic product
and provides em-
ployment for about Fu
800,000 workers, said
Construction Industry
Development Board Ma-
laysia (CIDB) chief executive
Datuk Hamzah Hasan.
“The output of the construc-
tion industry has a major impact
on our ability to maintain a
sustainable economy and
on the environment as
well,” said Hamzah,
who officiated the
conference held in
Kuala Lumpur.
“The many years
of high construc-
tion rate caused a
greater demand for
raw materials and
energy resources.
We witnessed the
prices of oil and pre- Hamzah
cious metals skyrocket-
ing. Steel and copper
prices increased
tremendously due
to high demand
in the con-
struction and
manufactur-
ing sectors,” process, but awareness of en-
he said.
T h e
ecological
impact is
obvious if whether private or government
the current
consumption
pattern contin-
ues, he said.
Some of the
benefits of green build-
ings include efficient use of
resources and operational cost adoption of green technology.
savings, said Hamzah.
“The drive to-
wards greener
buildings also
hub for green tech
provides op-
portunities by Maria J. Dass
for many newsdesk@thesundaily.com
manu-
f a c t u r- PETALING JAYA: Green
ers and technology and efforts to
service explore alternative energy
provid- sources have been a margin-
ers,” he alised sector in this region
said. until recently.
A l - The rapid rise in oil
though prices last year, depleting
costs of energy sources and the
green tech- looming threat from climate
nology have change and global warming
reduced consider- have forced governments to
ably, it is still not cheap realise the urgency of looking
and the high costs are a deter- for alternative technologies
rent to the industry, said Fu. which are cleaner and more
In addition, the adoption sustainable.
of green technology is a long Malaysia is no exception
and is taking things a step
vironmental issues among the further by aiming to become
general public has increased a regional hub for green
over the years, said Hamzah. technology development and
“Construction projects, has the edge of having recog-
nised the danger of depleting
projects, are now scrutinised fuel sources.
by the public. The demand by These include the National
the public for better protection Depletion Policy and Four
towards the environment is Fuel Diversification Policy.
greater than before,” he said. At the launch of Malaysia’s
This is the beginning, said Green Technology Policy on
Hamzah, who encourages the Friday, Prime Minister Datuk
Seri Najib Abdul Razak said
he envisions green technol-
ogy playing an important
role in charting the country’s
development.
The Energy, Green Tech-
nology and Water Ministry
will be at the forefront of this
role, in addition to the for-
mation of a Green Technol-
ogy Council for coordination
among ministries, agencies,
the private sector and key
stakeholders. Najib said the
council chaired by himself
with the assistance of his
deputy Tan Sri Muhyiddin
Yassin will push for effective
implementation of the green
technology policy.
“We are aware that not
everyone is familiar with the
various business opportuni-
ties of the green economy
and it is therefore important
that local players are edu-
cated and strengthened via
various programmes,” he
said adding that the govern-
ment is reeling in more green
technology-based foreign
direct investments to foster
domestic direct investments
and boost local industry par-
ticipation and human capital
development.
As a catalyst the govern-
ment is putting in place eco-
nomic instruments and fiscal
and financial mechanisms to
support the growth of these
industries.
Najib said: “We need to
look into it before we can
decide on what incentives
to offer, but we are serious
about it (development of
green technology) and want
this to happen. For starters
there is already a double tax
deduction incentive.”
He said the government
hopes to make Malaysia a
regional hub for green tech-
nology and particularly for
renewable energy such as
photovoltaics.
A total of RM12 billion
investments from the solar
photovoltaic industry has
already entered the country
from well-established com-
panies such as First Solar,
Sun Power, Q-Cells and
Tokuyama.
In addition to harness-
ing solar power, renewable
energy sources like wind,
mini-hydro, biomass, biogas
and geothermal are being
developed and expected to
grow by 116 times in uptake
between now and 2030.
Najib outlined five
strategic thrusts contained
in the government’s green
technology policy – the first
to strengthen the institutional
framework between the gov-
ernment, agencies, private
sector and stakeholders; the
second to provide a condu-
cive environment for green
technology development, the
third to promote and intensify
human capital development
in the sector, the fourth to
intensify green technology
research and innovation to-
wards commercialisation,
and the fifth to promote and
create awareness of the use
of this technology.
For now, alternative
energy sources such as solar
technology are expensive for
consumers in terms of the
general public. But in a few
years it will be competitive,
said those in the industry,
likening it to the high prices
of plasma TVs at one time
and their gradual lowering
as demand escalated and
production costs dropped.

fixed and maintained.

“The danger of using gas is no less than

briefs using conventional petrol,” he added.

Five in family perish in crash
MARAN: Five members of a family including a
10 month-old boy were killed when their car was
involved in a collision with a container lorry in
Jalan Maran-Kuantan yesterday.
The victims were identified as driver Nasaru-
din Abd Aziz, 33, wife Fatmawati Harun, 30, her
mother Sepiah Mohamad, 60, brother Mohd
Syakirin, 23, and son Muhammad Nazhif.
Maran police chief DSP Ahmad Johari Shahabu-
din said the crash occurred when the container
lorry laden with empty gas tanks heading for
Kuantan skidded and went to the other side of
the road and crashed into the oncoming Kenari.
“In the tragedy at 1.30pm, the container lorry
dragged the Kenari for about 80m. The five from
Felda Jengka 5 were killed on the spot.”
Ahmad Johari said the lorry driver, 39, fractured
a leg while the attendant, 17, escaped injuries.
– Bernama
Why gas-powered cars
not popular
SHAH ALAM: The fear of explosion is one of
the main factors for the low usage of natural
gas by Malaysian motorists, according to Sirim
QAS International. The other factors are the
initial high cost of fixing the equipment and
hassle of locating the approved workshops
and petrol stations where gas is available.
“At present there are only about 40,000
vehicles, mostly taxis, which use natural gas,”
said Sirim QAS International’s head of the
Mechanical and Automative Section, Suhaimi
Mahmood.
He said it was safe and economical to use
gas provided the equipment was properly
According to Suhaimi, the cost of fixing the
gas tank is between RM2,500 and RM7,000,
depending on the model of the vehicle.
It is understood that Petronas is working
towards providing more gas outlets while the
RTD is intensifying efforts to appoint more
qualified workshops as well as improve co-
ordination between the various government
agencies. – Bernama
Immigration staff faces human
trafficking charge
KOTA BARU: An Immigration Department staff
was yesterday charged in the sessions court here
with human trafficking at an illegal jetty in Rantau
Panjang. Rahman Selamat, 45, from Felda Ulu
Tebrau, Ulu Tiram, Johor, however, pleaded not
guilty and claimed trial to the charge before judge
Siti Mariam Othman, who then fixed Aug 25 to
mention the case.
Rahman, who was not allowed bail, is charged
with trafficking a Myanmar national, Mohd Ikbal
Mohd Ali, 29, at the Kertas illegal jetty, Kampung
Gual Tok Deh, Rantau Panjang, between 12.30am
and 1am on April 9, 2009.
Deputy public prosecutor Shahidani Abdul Aziz
prosecuted, while Rahman was represented by
counsel Fadzil Maamor. – Bernama
Quake hits Andaman Islands
KUALA LUMPUR: A moderate earthquake
measuring 5.3 on the Ritcher scale occurred
in the Andaman Islands region at 9.29pm
yesterday.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department
said in a statement, the quake’s epicentre
was 300km northwest of Car Nicobar, India
and 683km northwest of Langkawi, Kedah.
No tsunami threat was reported.
– Bernama