JOHOR BAHRU, 10 March 2015 – Building on its commitment to the advancement of Low Carbon Society (LCS) research into implementation in Iskandar Malaysia, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Low Carbon Asia Research Centre (UTM-LCAR), Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Faculty of Built Environment, UTM Johor Bahru organised the 1st Pasir Gudang Low Carbon Society / Green Smart City Focus Group Discussion (FGD) involving key departmental officials from Majlis Perbandaran Pasir Gudang (MPPG).
The half day FGD which commenced at 9:00am was attended by a highly committed team of 26 MPPG Head of Departments and officials led by the Yang Dipertua (YDP) of MPPG, Y.Bhg. Encik Md. Za’nal Bin Hj. Misran and the Setiausaha Majlis, Y.Bhg. En. Saipol Rahman Bin Hj. Ahmad, both of whom stayed throughout the session and participated actively.
The FGD was organised as part of UTM-LCAR’s effort in seeing its internationally known Low Carbon Society Blueprint for Iskandar Malaysia 2025 (LCSBP-IM-2025) through to actual implementation in Iskandar Malaysia with a view to achieving real cuts in carbon emissions. This is in line with the Right Honourable Prime Minister’s Science to Action (S2A) initiative to intensify the application of science and technology as a key pillar of the nation’s development and the rakyat’s well-being.
To that end, engaging and building consensus among the public and stakeholders, beginning with Pasir Gudang, are highly significant. This first FGD is the beginning of a series of FGDs that will be progressively organised to eventually bring all relevant stakeholders in Iskandar Malaysia, including all five local authorities in the economic corridor, on board in UTM’s bid to reduce the economic corridor’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity by 58% by 2025 based on the 2005 level.
In particular, this FGD aims at soliciting feedback, comments and suggestions from MPPG officials on the suitability, feasibility and priority of various potential LCS and Green Smart City projects and, building on the feedback and suggestions, proposing and aligning feasible LCS and Green Smart City projects with MPPG’s strategic vision and directions.
The FGD began with a welcoming address by Prof. Ho Chin Siong, Director of UTM-LCAR and Project Leader of the LCSBP-IM-2025 project, followed by an officiating speech by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Roslan Amirudin, Dean of the Faculty of Built Environment and a Special Address by Y.Bhg. En. Md. Za’nal who outlined succinctly his long- and medium-term visions and policy directions for the development of Pasir Gudang up to 2020.
A multidisciplinary team of seven UTM experts then responded by giving seven concise 5-minute presentations on potential projects that straddle topics/aspects that are strategic for Pasir Gudang’s sustainable, low carbon growth, viz.

1. Green Port and Green Industry (Mr. Chau Loon Wai);
2. Sustainable Waste Management (Assoc. Prof. Dr. Lee Chew Tin);
3. Sustainable Energy System (Dr. Lim Jeng Shium);
4. Clean Air Environment (Mr. Muhamad Azahar Zikri Zahari);
5. Eco-life Challenge (Assoc. Prof. Dr. Fatin Aliah Phang Abdullah);
6. Carbon Sequestration (Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kasturi Devi Kanniah); and
7. Green/Low Carbon Community (Prof. Ibrahim Ngah).
   The FGD continued with active roundtable discussions and deliberation by MPPG officials on the potential projects, facilitated by the UTM experts, and concluded at midday with wrap-up presentations that provided clear indications on the suitability, feasibility, priority and expected implementation issues of the proposed projects. The findings would feed into and improve the proposed Low Carbon Society Blueprint for Majlis Perbandaran Pasir Gudang 2025 (LCSBP-MPPG-2025) that is slated for completion in October 2015.
   The commitment and efforts of all FGD participants were acknowledged with certificates of participation presented by Y.Bhg. En. Md. Za’nal and Prof. Ho Chin Siong. The day ended with a UTM Eco-campus tour to UTM’s Composting Project led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Lee Chew Tin.