NEWS OF TODAY ~ Founder of Orangutan Appeal UK receives British MBE award

BORNEO POST

Founder of Orangutan Appeal UK receives British MBE award

Posted on February 8, 2012, Wednesday

TUARAN: Sue Sheward, the founder and chairperson of the Orangutan Appeal UK, has been included in The Queen’s New Year’s Honours List and was awarded with an MBE for her work in protecting Asia’s endangered primates.

In an interview held during the Sepilok Orangutan Appeal UK cocktail party at Rasa Ria Resort here on Monday evening, Sheward said she was overwhelmed when she received a letter from the House of Commons informing her that she had been recommended for the Queen’s Honours List in 2012.

HONOURED: Sheward (centre) with Masidi (left) at the cocktail party.

“I thought it can’t be true so I phoned the office to ask them if they sent me the letter. They confirmed, so it wasn’t a joke,” she quipped.

The award for the cause of the orangutan  would  help open doors across the world, she said, adding that it will definitely open more doors in the UK and Europe.

“I hope  it  will  open more doors here and in Asia,” she said.

She also felt that there was a need to explain to the people on the important work the Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) and the Appeal are doing.

“Let’s hope that it encourages more people and companies to show their green side,” she said.

Additionally, the award is testimony of her work with the apes of Asia, particularly the orang utan is recognised.

“The orangutan is such an endangered species, it is important worldwide.”

Prior to the knowledge that she has been nominated for the award, Sheward was contemplating retirement.

“But now I can’t. I have to continue to do it,” she said.

Sheward also commented on the European debt crisis and how it is affecting the people’s attitude towards charities since people do not have much money to give away.

“So the level of donation tends not to be so high.”

To generate more fund, Sheward said that they are focusing more on companies and are trying to encourage them to donate to the work of Appeal.

She explained that companies stand to benefit if they donate since they can claim for tax exemption against the donation.

Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun, meanwhile, congratulated Sheward for the recognition accorded upon her for her work in Sabah.

“The fact that she is recognised and honoured shows that what we are doing in Sabah in the conservation of the orangutan is on the right track.

“We always have complaints about  how  our  orangutans are disappearing    and  how   we are not doing  enough and that oil palm  is  killing  the  orangutans. There  has   been   flying allegations of our conservation efforts but if the British government has honoured  her, then  we  must  be  doing right. To  us, this is an  international stamp of  approval from  the  world  on what is  being done here and for the Appeal,” he said.

Also present at the event was Datuk Mike Steel, the adviser for the Orangutan Appeal UK in Sabah.