EcoKnights®

2011/11/06, New Sunday Times -- THE 2011 Anugerah Hijau competition came to a grand end last weekend at Universiti Malaya.

After eight months, the 4th Anugerah Hijau wrapped up in a grand finale showcasing the finalists' short videos on an environmental message (Totally Active category) and sustainable fashion design (Wildly Creative category).

 Both the judging and award ceremony was held in conjunction with the fourth Kuala Lumpur Eco Film Festival.

Wildly Creative category winner Suraya Zairi (left) with the model donning her design made from tea bags and also recycled diabetic cups.

The Totally Active category was won by the team called Barsets, led by Shobaan Pillay, with the short video called The Chase. The winning video can be viewed on YouTube.com at this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v>;a1gVOnCBXoM

For Barsets, this is its first participation in the Anugerah Hijau competition and its short video depicts a future when water is a scarce resource.

"Winning the award was a great pleasure as it is the only competition focusing on the 'green' genre," said winner Shobaan Pillay.

"It was really a once-in-a-lifetime moment, and we would like to thank EcoKnights for such a project. We hope to produce more green films in the future," added Shobaan.

The first runner-up was LOL, which comprised Form Four students. They won for their video titled, The Choice.

Pioneer Mediawork, comprising a group of engineering students, were second runner-up. They submitted a short video titled, Enemy in the Coat.

Suraya Zairi, who won first place in the same competition last year, won the Wildly Creative category again with her sustainable fashion design made from tea bags and also recycled diabetic cups.

She walked home with RM4,000, a trophy, some hampers and about RM5,000 worth of youth training and workshops.

The Form Four student at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Bukit Jelutong said sustainable fashion was not just a trend.

"It's actually a statement to make all of us realise that there is a reason behind all that has happened to Mother Earth.

"We have the power to think and make decisions. If we can use that power to make a huge difference, then why not do it? Sustainable fashion is one solution."

The first runner-up was Nur Hazwani Borhan from Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Perak with her creation, "RE-PAIR" while second runner up was "Pieces of Pocket" by Mohd Shah Nizam, also from UiTM Perak.

Designs for Wildly Creative finalists' were paraded in a choreographed fashion show.

The Anugerah Hijau is a non-profit environmental education programme conceptualised and organised by EcoKnights, a local environmental non-governmental organisation.

The programme's partners this year are CIMB Foundation, Shell Sustainable Development Grant, Yuber, Biohome, Malaysian Productivity Corporation, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and Ultra Creatives.

The EcoKnights team is already working on next year's competition, with the possibility of adding two new categories -- eco architecture and environmental broadcasting -- to encourage more Malaysian youths to be part of this nationwide green effort.

For more information, email info@ecoknights.org.my.

Read more: Meet the winners! http://www.nst.com.my/articles/33hijau/Article/#ixzz1czjtF5oy