Report ESPM SLiM 2012

Report on SLiM symposium

Venue: Auditorium, IPPP, UM   Date: 6 Nov 2012              Time: 0900

SLiM is stands for “Sustainable Living in Malaysia”. To my concern this is the 2^nd time I attended this symposium series. Last year perhaps was the 1^st of the series. The aims of the symposium are: 1) to promote awareness among selected stakeholders. They are universities, government agencies, NGOs and individuals. Perhaps I can be considered as partly university and partly individual heheh; 2) to highlight current status in Malaysia; and 3) to find an agreeable agreement or resolutions regarding sustainability and its practice. What shall be done and rectify and what shall not be done. I, of course, as an observer lah. Puihh.

The symposium started by presenting pre-recorded video from Prof Dr William Reese. Wonder who is he. Google lah. He is a professor from University of British Columbia. He introduced ecological footprint which I don’t really understand or believe. Pardon moi.

Eh bukan lah. It started with a song performance. Indie kot. Named Zero Band which consisting two professional young lads. Sorang tu lawyer kot. The other one, unknown.

sikit punya belakang ko duduk heh

aku zoom. gegar itu biasa oke

Then they invited two Orang Asli (Asal) girls from Kampar, Perak. They sound like Chinese when delivering their so-called heart feeling (bekez not a speech I guess). Of course lah, they’re stay with Chinese foster family. Their names Wak Maznah and Wak i-don’t remember. And they are siblings. They talking about how they environment are deteriorating. Yelah bukan ko je. Kita pun okay. Eh pel..lis lah. Pehal ko nak emo ni eng?

At 10:07, Emiritus Prof Dr Mohd Nordin Hasan from ICSU delivered his talk. I often said to my students. Eh aku de student muahahaha. Nayalah korang. Any lecture ke hapemende, the moment you step out of class, hall or whatsoever, please make sure that you got at least three points or gist of they’re talking about. Only three je okay. When you set your mind like that, takdelah when you step out je dari kelas, puff hilang all those things. So what are the three things?

1)      there are 9 states that initiated conservation strategies i.e. Kedah, Kelantan, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Perlis, Sarawak, Selangor, Wilayah Persekutuan and Sabah. Mana Pahang? Later kot *husnuzon mode*

2)      as you know, sustainability dimensions are social, economy and environment. In the early time, these three are largely compartmentalize. Maknanya, terpisah-pisah. Adakah itu disebabkan secularism hahah. Sungguh spekulatif.

3)      Sustainability atau sustainable development bukanlah dijumpai dalam dokumen Brundtland 1987 tetapi xxx dalam World Conservation. Ini berdasarkan pandangan yang agak bercermin matakan Barat.

4)      He made a quick test on who is attending this kind of symposium which is related very much dengan stakeholders atau actors. Universities? Ada. Industry? Ada. Government? Ada. Media? Tak ada. Pfft. As a conclusion, media tak berminat dengan perkara sebegini.

5)      He said about new paradigm. Ah sume nak jadi Kuhn hahaha. A) dynamic planet; b) development; and c) transformation towards sustainability.

Eh terlima pulak. Lebih tak pe.

Then Session 1 had several discussants. Among them Mr Azhar Noraini from EPU, Mr Fauwaz from TWN and Mr Lee Lih Shyun from INSERT. I just give the points la ye.

1)      Political will on this matter is not there. meaning we need more effort from government side. Tapi bukanla takde langsung. Melampa anta.

2)      Ada satu soalan yang dilontarkan. What is workable mechanism for a sustainable future?Bagi akulah khen, a) good and right thinking pattern is important because from there it will emanates good and right attitudes; b) have sets of rules/law; and 3) of course, enforcement la beb.

3)      Local is global and global is local. No explanation on this because aku tengah berangan hahaha. Yang pastinya, ni quote dari Ban Ki-Moon (UN Secretary General) at ICLEI World Congress Belo-Horizonte, Brazil.

4)      Ada beberapa cities yang udah mau adopt sustainable spertinya Tokyo. Aku pikir Bogor juga. Aku tingin sangat nak gi Bogor ko :’)

Below points are taken from Ms Kim Lee Choy. If I’m not mistaken, she’s Universiti Malaya student and she went to the Rio +20 using her own expense. I wonder why the authorities, for instance, government or university cannot sponsor us (us ok) in this kind of event. And mind you, there were not even one government officers attend the Rio +20. Datsewai lah they all say that the government is not interested in creating sustainable future, gamaknyalah khen.

1)      Change!

2)      No corruption. I can sense that she’s referring to our current situation which I myself do not favour.

3)      She claimed that adult maybe around 50-60+ years old may not concern because in the next 20 years it’s the young who left with those _______ eh apa aku tulis ni (refer kepada nota yang aku tulis

4)      No awareness is obvious.

Berakhirlah sesi 1. Adeh letih nak taip. Sesi 2 started at 12:38. Moderated by Prof Dato’ Dr Norma Mansor. Sedap sanat dia cakap. Very clear. I wish that I can communicate as clear as her ato hers. She said, local government is the most important unit is a government because it is the most closest to the rakyat. For example, dalam hal keluarkan permit la kan. Aku rasa dalam PEMANDU, ada tiga ni mereka/kita perlu capai iaitu high income, sustainability and inclusiveness. I object pasal high income. Later entry kalau tajen hekhek.

Then by Dr Ahmad Ibrahim from ASM (Akademi Sains Malaysia).

1)      He emphasized on innovative. Use something more efficiently, make something new and delivers value to society

2)      No integration between ministries. Who is the champion/driver? But kalau ko asek bertelagah, no way to follow a driver khon? Working in silo. Aku rasa ‘working in silo’ has become a new jargon for me. Pathetic. I’m learning okkayh.

word silo

3)      Sustainability is the top most agenda. Currently we have National Council xxx is it on sustainability matter? Duh takingat

4)      Must have awareness and it’s not about environment solely but people-planet-profit.

Sampailah masanya untuk Ir Gurmit Singh. Very outspoken. Kesian kat dia, dah dekat kul1, lunch. He said, what future you want? Don’t care about future if you don’t care about present (yang ni aku tambah haha). He asked, government is not aware? Kaciwa, I sensed. Break lunh.

Aku luch kat luar dengan ZSH. But then aku datang semula taw. Memang patutnya giteh. Masuk sesi 3 at 14:15.

Started by Dr Hezri Adnan. The future that we need. Bagus his thinking pattern on this. His slides ada balance between ko cakap cam bebel words aje dengan figure2. Sebab aku suke gamba2. Haha. Cam budak-budak. He said, sustainability as a long term challenge. Then ecosystem services. Sustainability is a logical partnership. He then stressed that sustainability has to stimulate deepen and broaden political and public engagement. Aku tak berapa paham sangat. Tinggi amat bahsenya. Hahah. Sebenarnya aku pun tadek effort. Ngamtuk kot. My bad. Tapi aku tau dia ni sangat ohsem. Aku nak kena gugel what is Rostow’s stage of growth.

Then representative of Malik Imtiyaz. Aku rasa cam penah dengo nama dia ni..tapi dimana ya? By Lavanya Iyer. Yang ni dia buat summary pada kertas Imtiyaz. Aku pun layan berangan mak jenin.

Ok since, sesi3 ni abih before time, maka adalah sesi Q&A. aku sebut jelah pointnya

1)      Change your leader as you change your lightbulb. Hah. I loike this statement bery much. Espeseli political leader in current situation. Tapi in other cases, aku tadek la prefer sangat statement ni to be honest.

2)      We agree that there is lack of coordination to address the crack

3)      Moral imperative. Profit. Snatching profit.

4)      Lethargic

5)      Macro economics matters

Sesi4? Aku tak sempat hahaha. Tapi sume ni ada direkodkan dlm bentuk mp3. Sekian melaporkan.