PM TO BRIEF RULERS ON STATE POLITICAL SITUATION

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 16 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will
brief the Conference of Rulers on the political situation in northern state of
Perak at the next meeting of the Conference of Rulers.

Abdullah said it would be up to the rulers to make recommendations or
decisions on the issue.

"The Conference of Rulers meets every three months. I will also be present
and will brief the meeting on the political development in Perak.

"Any recommendation or decision will be up to the rulers. My responsibility
is to provide information on what has happened," he told reporters here Sunday.

At the event, Abdullah and wife Jeanne Abdullah, who is the chairman of the
Malaysian Landscape Advisory Panel, and Abdullah's daughter Nori, planted 15
trees at the park's compound.

Meanwhile, Abdullah called for more tree-planting programmes not only for
greening purposes but also to enrich recreational areas with tree species.

"For instance, the trees planted here (in Hutan Kita-Kiara) are from various
species, with their own appeal like emitting a pleasant smell while others bear
fruits that attract various types of birds.

"We should plant more of such trees. Our hope is to create a gene bank from
researches carried out on these trees," he said.

Abdullah also commended the response from among various groups including the
corporate sector, which had adopted "corporate plots" at the park with the aim
of planting at least 50,000 trees.

He also said that the programme would be expanded to other areas, with
Iskandar Malaysia, a massive infrastructure development project in Johor, and
Putrajaya coming next in line.

Earlier in his speech, Abdullah said the people should realise the
consequences of destroying the environment as it could cause pollution.

"I hope that this programme and other efforts such as reforestation could
become our national endeavour. This is what we want to do and I will do my part
too," he said.

Abdullah added that the Hutan Kita-Kiara programme was a sign that public
awareness on the importance of safeguarding the environment was growing.

He said such a programme could provide cities and towns with forest parks
and green lungs, which could be utilised by the local community for recreational
purpose.

"I think the programme's structure is good in that anyone can contribute
RM60 (US$16.57) to plant a tree. By doing this, every member of the community is
a stakeholder to the forest," he said.
-- BERNAMA