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DEPUTY Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh singled out the community-based Langur Penang Project (LPP) as an example of society empowerment to drive action in the age of climate change.
Instead of constantly depending on public sector initiatives, the coming together of a community to protect Mother Nature and to drive coexistence with wildlife is laudable and a much-needed action plan due to climate change, Syed Ibrahim said.
LPP is listed online as a citizen science-driven outreach and primate conservation enterprise focusing on the ecology, behaviour, and road ecology of urban monkeys.
The group of volunteers aim to develop recommendations for humane and sustainable strategies to promote coexistence between humans and primates through three ongoing conservation projects in Penang
Led predominantly by residents in the tourism belt of Batu Feringghi, Syed Ibrahim was accompanied by LPP coordinators such as project founder Dr Jo Leen Yap, Hui Yi Wong, project executive and Hoon Cheng Teo, the project assistant, who help formed the core of the group in 2016.
Also present was state executive councillor in charge of the environment, Datuk Seri S. Sundarajoo, who was also equally mesmerised by the LPP concept.
It has since grown from strength to strength with areas devoted to conservation, including building a canopy to allow the langur monkeys, an endangered species, to cross the road near Teluk Bahang.
The Ledang Member of Parliament, who is also a PKR central committee leader, was beaming when he was briefed on the outcome of the LPP.
He posted that he was bewildered by the community empowerment, citing that the building of a canopy bridge called "The Obscura” in Batu Feringghi was a solution towards the coexistence between wildlife and humanity.
"It has brought community empowerment to the next level. With an environmentally friendly infrastructure and the use of recyclables as well as applying scientific understanding, it is a project for us to behold."
It is evident that if the people combine innovation, knowledge and community empowerment, much is possible, including in conserving wildlife, especially an endangered species like the langur, said Syed Ibrahim.
Dusky leaf monkeys, or langurs, are frequently seen in the forested areas of Batu Feringghi, particularly along the coastal road heading towards Teluk Bahang, where about 12 to 13 groups of these endangered animals reside.
Earlier, Syed Ibrahim also inspected the state's main landfill in Pulau Burung following a spate of peat fires due to the high humidity here.
Accompanied by another state exco member, Jason H'ng Mooi Lye, Syed Ibrahim underscored the importance of long-term solutions to the waste at the landfill.
He urged for better management of solid waste at the landfill, saying that fires should no longer spark in the area due to the dangers of toxicity, not to mention the air pollution it generates in the region.
But this problem cannot be resolved in a silo, Syed Ibrahim said, adding that there must be collaboration between the Department of Environment, the Seberang Prai City Council and both the state and federal governments to address the mounting level of waste at Pulau Burung.
Also, the need to find cheaper alternatives to treat waste, he said. – May 1, 2026.
