KUALA LUMPUR: BYD Malaysia continues its commitment to "Cool the Earth by 1°C", by expanding its environmental efforts from urban green spaces to coastal ecosystems.
The company says this follows the successful completion of Phase 1 of its BYD Light the Change CSR programme.
For Phase 2, BYD and DENZA Malaysia partnered with the Mah Meri Cultural Village (MMCV) in Carey Island to plant 380 mangrove trees comprising local species such as Bakau Kurap, Nyireh and Nipah.
The initiative aims to support coastal ecosystem restoration while contributing to the long-term sustainability of the indigenous Mah Meri community.
The initiative builds on more than 1,200 digital tree pledges collected from the public during the BYD Light the Change Festival held late last year.
Earlier this year, BYD Malaysia fulfilled the first phase of these pledges by planting 120 trees across 10 native species at The Waterfront @ ParkCity, in collaboration with Desa ParkCity and The International School of ParkCity (ISPKL).
With Phase 2, the initiative also reflects the close relationship between the Mah Meri community and its natural surroundings.
The forests, rivers and mangroves have long been part of the community’s way of life and heritage, making conservation an important part of preserving both the environment and cultural identity.
The event brought together BYD Malaysia managing director Jacob Ma, Sime Motors managing director of Southeast Asia Jeffrey Gan, BYD Sime Motors managing director Adeline Lew, employees from BYD Malaysia, BYD and DENZA dealer partners, and student volunteers from SMK Telok Panglima Garang.
Participants worked alongside the Mah Meri Cultural Village team, led by MMCV director Rashid Esa in the planting effort while learning more about the community, its heritage and the important role mangroves play in supporting their way of life.
“At BYD, we believe that creating a better future starts with action,” said Ma.
“Working alongside the Mah Meri Cultural Village community has allowed us to take a more inclusive approach to building a stronger and more sustainable ecosystem, while learning from a community that has lived closely with and cared for the environment for generations."
“For the Mah Meri, the environment around us is not separate from our community. The forests, rivers and mangroves are part of the landscape we have lived with for generations and are closely connected to our way of life and heritage,” said Rashid.
Beyond the planting activity, participants were also given the opportunity to experience Mah Meri culture through a traditional Mask Dance ceremony and hands-on activities including traditional hunting skills, wood carving, atap making, traditional costumes and a Mah Meri wedding ceremony.
“For BYD and DENZA, this is also a way for us to give back to the communities around us and to the people who have supported our brands. We hope initiatives like this give us an opportunity to bring our community together for something beyond the cars themselves,” said Lew.
The newly planted mangroves will be monitored and maintained as part of the ongoing conservation effort.
With 500 trees now planted across two locations, BYD Light the Change continues to turn more than 1,200 public pledges into tangible environmental action, ecosystem restoration and community engagement.
