US Navy joins Malaysian Armed Forces and local government


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Commemorative group photograph of the Exercise Pacific Partnership 2017 that includes the US Navy and Malaysian Armed Forces at the Sungai Bunus area near Kuala Lumpur yesterday

KUALA LUMPUR 9 April – The United States Navy represented by 50 staff including marine officials and 30 staff from the Malaysian Armed Forces together with 200 college and university students, non-governmental organizations and organizing agency today participated in the planting of 100 trees along Sungai Bunus near Kolam Takungan Banjir Kampung Boyan.

The planting of trees in the Community Relation (COMREL) program was headed by Executive Director, (Planning) Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), Datuk Mohd Najib Mohammad, in conjunction with the Protection of Environment in Sungai Bunus Basin, (Water World Day) and Exercise Pacific Partnership 2017.

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Malaysians representing several agencies and Exercise Pacific Partnership 2017 participants after planting fruit trees along Sungai Bunus area yesterday

This was part of COMREL’s program where participants of the Exercise Pacific Partnership 2017 were involved with community’s activities. Unlike last year, participants of the Exercise only focused on the medical, dentistry and engineering support.

The objectives of COMREL amongst others are participants of the Exercise Pacific Partnership contribute and participate with the local community in protecting the environment and ensuring the cleanliness of the rivers, apart from building a closer relationship between the armed forces and the local community.

Also present at the function were the Ambassador of the United States of America to Malaysia, Kamala Shirin Lakhdir, Pacific Partnership 2017 Mission Commander, Captain Stanfield Chein, The Joint Force Headquarters, Ministry of Defence (Mindef) representative, Lieutenant Colonel Nur Azian Muhammad, senior officials of the City Hall, and non-governmental organizations (NGO) representatives.

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Mohd.Najib (left) Kamala Shirin (center) and Stanfield Chein helping each other to plant a fruit tree along the Sungai Bunus at Kolam Takungan Banjir Kampung Boyan, Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

The participants of the Exercise Pacific Partnership with Malaysian Armed Forces staff will also take part in giving away food to displaced persons together with the Pertubuhan Tindakan Wanita Islam (PERTIWI) in the “PERTIWI Soup Kitchen” program, participate in community sports at Tun Dr. Ismail Secondary School, community get together at the Royal Military College (RMC) Sungai Besi, Kuala Lumpur and navy band performances at the Curve, Damansara.

The United States Naval Ship (USNS) Fall River with the Exercise Pacific Partnership’s mission has stopped in Port Klang from 8th April to participate in the local community activities before sailing to Kuching, Sarawak on the 12th April.

The Exercise Pacific Partnership was formed in 2016 with United States of America, Korea, Japan, and Malaysia as its members.

In a press conference with the local media, Kamala Shirin said, after Kuala Lumpur the USNS will go to Kuching, Sarawak to explore how collaboration can be made with the city government and local community in cleaning up rivers.

“Rivers should be clean in order to be less pollutant. This could only be realized when the people change their mindset by not dumping things into the rivers. The local council and the city government should implement ways of disposing of garbage properly,” she added.

In another development, Mohd Najib said, the “Kolam Takungan Banjir” Sungai Bunus area will become a recreational park and accessible for public use in June. People from Kampung Baru and the neighboring areas can easily access to the park either for cycling or to watch the activities of “urban farming” there.

“On the quality of the Sungai Bunus water, the City Hall will be discussing and working together with the Department of Irrigation and Drainage in line with the Blue Ocean Strategy. Meanwhile, the collaboration of the Exercise Pacific Partnership with the local authority is part of the Local Agenda 21 program,” he added. 

-Malaysia World News 


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