KUALA LUMPUR: The environment in Malaysia will not be threatened as a result of economic development in the country, officials repeated this week. Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin told journalists after launching Malaysia Day and visiting the Malaysian Pavilion in South Korea's Expo 2012 Yeosu. The deputy added that the country understand the importance of the environment and says the desire to become a developed country on part with the Western world would not see the destruction of natural environments and biodiversity. “We have also required states in the country which have jurisdiction over land and flora and fauna to undertake housing and industrial development without harming the environment,” he said. “The demand for development is always there, the demand for land utilisation in plantation areas is always there, but there must be a balance between development and conservation of the environment. This is the responsibility of not only the ministries and the government but also the states. “In our eagerness to become a developed country, Malaysia will not sacrifice the environmental treasure we have,” he said. He said the government was committed to ensuring that at least 50 per cent of the country remained environmentally green as agreed upon at the Rio Earth Summit 1992. Muhyiddin, who is also education minister, said it was also important to educate the young to enable them realise the importance of protecting the environment. “We know that there is lack of proper conservation of the environment in some places in Malaysia and this has to be attended to not only by the ministry and the government but also society,” he said. Commenting on the country's participation in the three-month expo, which will end on August 12, he said it helped Malaysia to display its rich biodiversity and culture and the government's efforts to protect the environment. Furthermore, he said, visitors to the Malaysian pavilion would be able to get information on the various attractions in the country, including eco-tourism and homestay packages popular among South Korean tourists. More than 230,000 people have visited the pavilion, which has the theme: Malaysia's Biodiversity Haven: A Gift from Nature”, since it opened on May 11, the first day of the expo. Visitors to the pavilion will be treated to a Malaysian cultural performance for a week in conjunction with the Malaysia Day celebration.
