KLANG: Affin Bank Bhd is sponsoring the operation of Interceptor 002 for a year to support the Klang River cleanup initiative.
The initiative is under the Selangor Maritime Gateway project, in collaboration with Landasan Lumayan Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Menteri Besar Selangor (Incorporated)
Affin Bank president and group chief executive officer Datuk Wan Razly Abdullah said the bank come forward to support the cleaning and rehabilitation of the last 56-kilometre stretch of Klang River through this high-tech and environmentally friendly solution.
"We bring together three strong parties, Affin Group, Landasan Lumayan and the Ocean Cleanup, who are working closely, sharing knowledge, data and insights to drive progress towards our shared objectives.
"This is in line with our Affin Axelerate 2028 (AX28) plan pillar of responsible banking with Impact (ESG), reflecting our passion for leaving things in a better state than we found them," he said during the sponsorship acceptance ceremony at Pangkalan Batu Public Park here today.
Also attending the ceremony were Landasan Lumayan chairman Izham Hashim, Affin group chairman Datuk Agil Natt and Affin group chief corporate strategy and sustainability officer Abdul Malek Mohamed Said.
Wan Razly expects the 22-metre Interceptor to improve the quality of Selangor water which will positively impact the environment and enhance the economic benefits of the local community.
"This includes increasing tourism, cruise ships along the Klang River, fishing activities, recreational activities and making the river an alternative mode of transport," he said.
He added that the bank wants to continue improving the river's quality after the end of the sponsorship.
"Affin is committed in long-term as part of our ESG programme. So you would not see Affin stopping our efforts," he emphasised.
Wan Razly said it is also engaged with 85 students from 11 local schools and two international schools in this initiative as part of the Sri Aman Environmental and English Youth Leadership Summit 2024, which involves a river cleanup CSR initiative and an enriching environmental ducational excursion.
"Our sustainable journey continues to make many initiatives this year and into the future. I believe that by working together, we can achieve wonders in this ever changing and demanding area of sustainability," he added
According to Landasan Lumayan managing director Syaiful Azmen Nordin, the waste in the Klang River has reduced by 67 per cent.
"We saw reduction of waste in this river from about 16,000 tonnes in 2016 to 5,800 tonnes in 2023," he said.