Zero waste heroes bag award

Khor (left) and Tin with the award.

KUALA LUMPUR: Pushing for drastic waste minimisation measures led Khor Sue Yee, 27, and Aurora Tin Fong Yun, 31, to be recognised, not just by their peers, but also Queen Elizabeth II.

Yesterday evening, the co-founders of Zero Waste Malaysia were honoured as the Commonwealth Points of Light for their exceptional work as waste reduction champions. The award was presented by the Earl of Wessex, Prince Edward, who handed them a certificate signed by Queen Elizabeth II.

As an NGO that is trying hard to change how Malaysians handle waste, Zero Waste Malaysia reaches out to the masses through workshops and exhibitions on how to live sustainably.

Khor and Tin are also pushing business houses to seriously consider cutting down on waste generation at the corporate level.

“We are honoured to be named the Commonwealth Points of Light for Malaysia.

“This is a recognition of the hard work by all Zero Waste Malaysia volunteers and supporters.

“We hope this will help push forward a stronger zero waste movement in Malaysia, ” they said.

The award is a part of the legacy of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London last year where the Queen – as Head of the Commonwealth – is thanking inspiring volunteers across 53 Commonwealth nations by recognising one volunteer from each Commonwealth country each week until 2020.

“By sharing these stories of service, the Commonwealth Points of Light awards inspirational acts of volunteering across the Commonwealth and inspires others to make contributions to tackling some of the greatest social challenges of our time, ” said the British High Commission in a statement yesterday.

The British High Commissioner to Malaysia, Charles Hay, said Khor and Tin were role models in living a zero waste lifestyle.

“Together with the wider team in Zero Waste Malaysia, which they jointly founded, they are an inspiration for those who seek to make positive changes in their personal lifestyle or their business model.

“Their exemplary work truly reflects the values and principles of the Commonwealth, and I am pleased that this was recognised by Her Majesty The Queen, ” he said.

The ceremony took place at the sidelines of the special screening of BBC’s Blue Planet II series – a wildlife documentary series presented and narrated by Sir David Attenborough – that will be aired on RTM. Also present at the event was Selangor princess Tengku Zatashah Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah.