KUALA SELANGOR: The Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah has instructed the Girl Guides Association of Malaysia to explore new business opportunities, including those involving recycled materials.
The Royal Patron of the association said plastic bottles could be recycled and reused to make bags, cushions, and blankets.
"In May last year, I went to the Chelsea Flower Show (in England) and I was very impressed when I went into a booth with beautiful displays of weaves and rugs, cushions, blankets (made from plastic bottles). (They) take all the plastic bottles and melt them together with rice husks in India, (turned them) into yarns and weave them to make carpets, bags and blankets," Her Majesty said.
The Queen said this at the opening ceremony of the national-level Plastic Busters Beach-River-Park Clean Up programme at the Kuala Selangor Indoor Stadium on Saturday (July 8).
About 1,000 participants took part in the programme which was also held simultaneously across the country.
Tengku Permaisuri Selangor Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin, who is also the Royal Patron of the Selangor Association was also in attendance.
Also present was Association president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
Tunku Azizah said today’s clean-up activity could instill awareness at all levels of society about the importance of preserving and conserving the environment.
"This is to instill the spirit of loving the environment, with all the money in the world, we cannot build a beach. If we destroy the beach, we cannot recreate it because it is nature that we must take care of," said Her Majesty.
"So, we have to teach everyone here that is the wrong thing to do. We now have many special bins (recycling bins). It is about time the children understand what is happening on the beach, what happens if we throw away plastics," she added.
Tunku Azizah said the programme would also increase the sense of responsibility of all parties including the government, private sector, and non-governmental organisations to preserve and conserve the country’s waters and beaches and create a clean, cheerful, and safe environment. - Bernama
