Although birthdays are really important to us, some people do the extraordinary by being thoughtful about others instead.
According to The Star, the King of Johor recently cancelled two birthday events due to the chemical pollution at Sungai Kim Kim, Pasir Gudang. He reportedly did so to give volunteers more time to clean up and improve the condition of the river.
Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar recently shared that he made the decision as he was saddened by what had happened in Pasir Gudang. The two birthday events he cancelled were an afternoon tea party and a state dinner on 24th and 25th March 2019 respectively. He said,
“Many are suffering from the chemical pollution caused by irresponsible parties. There are numerous victims being treated in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and many schools had to resort to shutting down.”
“I cancelled the two events as I did not want to be in a joyous mood while my people are suffering.”
Sultan Ibrahim explained that by cancelling the events, the volunteers, who are also involved in the cleaning works at Sungai Kim Kim, will have more time and energy to do so.
“As we all know, there are many volunteers who are also part of the security and medical team involved in the cleaning operation. I truly appreciate their commitment and their dedication.”
“Therefore, I believe it is the right thing to cancel the events for the sake of the people and the volunteers who are working round-the-clock,” Sultan Ibrahim added.
That’s really thoughtful of the Sultan of Johor! We hope that the condition in Pasir Gudang improves and that the dumping of chemical waste in Malaysia will come to an end soon!
Also read: Unsung Heroes of Kim Kim River Have Been Working 24 Hours a Day to Keep Everyone Safe