By Michelle Lim Yu En
A total of 34 fourth-year Strategic Communication students from the Faculty of Language and Communication at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) organised a “Thrift and Thrive” Fast Fashion Awareness Campaign, which was held from December 27 to 28, 2022.
Nur Hazwani, the campaign’s organising chairperson, said that the campaign’s goal is to raise awareness of fast fashion issues in order to battle global climate change.
“This involves environmental sustainability, combating consumerism, ethical concerns, and redistribution of resources in an affordable and accessible way,” she said at the Multipurpose Hall, Student Pavilion, UNIMAS on Dec 27.
At the same time, Energy and Environmental Sustainability Deputy Minister Dr Hazland Abang Hipni, who officiated the campaign, said that Sarawak is currently focusing on developing green, renewable energy and combating climate change.
“The Ministry of Energy and Environmental Sustainability was established by the Sarawak government.
“This newly formed ministry will coordinate and direct the growth of green, renewable energy while also participating in the global issue of climate change.
“Hence, global climate change is a continuing challenge that necessitates the participation and cooperation of all citizens,” said Dr Hazland.
He also said that one of the approaches to address this issue is to promote a circular economy, which helps redistribute resources and reduce waste.
The Deputy Minister also commended the campaign’s committee members for their commitment to raising awareness about the effects of fast fashion among UNIMAS students and the general public by organising a pop-up thrift store on campus.
Dr Hazland also contributed RM10,000 to the “Thrift and Thrive” fast fashion awareness campaign.
He hoped that this effort will be repeated each year in order to protect the environment and create awareness about the effects of fast fashion.
• This article was written by a student from the Strategic Communication Programme at the Faculty of Language and Communication, UNIMAS.
