Chief Minister Hajiji Noor said the state government is always up for supporting positive efforts to ensure the conservation of the state’s green treasures.

He added that in line with the campaign, the state will see to the development of forest plantations, jungle restoration, development of rubber plantations, planting of fruit trees and enrichment planting inside the forest.

“The preservation of our forest treasures will not only bring about benefits to health but also help in the country’s economic development.

“This is in line with Sabah being a state that offers its flora and fauna as a base for its tourism industry,” he told reporters after launching the state-level campaign at the compounds of the state administrative building here today.

Hajiji said an abundance of forest produce will subsequently help develop the wood-based industries in Sabah.

He added this will also bolster the state’s capabilities in providing infrastructure like roads, housing, water, electricity as well as job opportunities.

The Sulaman assemblyman pointed out that the tree planting initiative in Sabah actually began in 2010, involving heavily logged areas.

“As the chief minister, it is my fervent hope that this campaign will lift up the people’s spirits to follow suit in planting trees, especially in private-owned lands,” he said.

The prime minister today planted a Merbau tree in the garden of Seri Perdana, his official residence, to kick-off the 100 Million Tree-Planting Campaign 2020-2025.

Muhyiddin urged the people to take part in the campaign and ensure the success of the agenda to make Malaysia green.

“To all Malaysians, let’s come together to ensure the success of the Greening Malaysia agenda by planting 100 million trees across the country by 2025,” he said when launching the campaign.