First lady Emine Erdoğan visited the Kuala Lumpur Perdana Botanical Garden on Feb. 11 while accompanying President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during his official visit to Malaysia's capital, Kuala Lumpur.
Upon her arrival at the garden, Emine Erdoğan was warmly welcomed by the wife of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, the wife of the minister of state, Zaliha binti Mustafa, and Kuala Lumpur Mayor Maimunah Mohd Sharif.
Emine Erdoğan visited various public institution booths, including those of the Kuala Lumpur Municipality and the Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Corporation, where she received information from officials about the recycling processes of waste materials.
Emine Erdoğan and Ismail signed the guestbook at Perdana Botanical Garden and, as a memento of their visit, planted a "Merbau" tree, which represents strength and resilience and holds deep cultural significance as Malaysia's national tree.
Kuala Lumpur's Mayor Maimunah Mohd Sharif thanked Emine Erdoğan for her visionary leadership on zero waste.
During the visit, a strategic cooperation agreement was signed between the Zero Waste Foundation and the Kuala Lumpur Municipality. The agreement was signed by Zero Waste Foundation President Samed Ağırbaş and Mayor Sharif.
The agreement aims to strengthen zero waste practices through joint projects focused on sustainable urban management, waste reduction and recycling.
Additionally, a "letter of change" was signed by Zero Waste Foundation President Samed Ağırbaş and Shareen Shariza Dato' Abdul Ghani, the president of the Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Corporation. The "letter of change" encourages mutual knowledge sharing on zero waste policies, waste reduction, recycling and capacity building to promote environmental sustainability.
In a social media post about her visit to the Perdana Botanical Garden in Kuala Lumpur, Emine Erdoğan shared her reflections on the importance of protecting the planet. She stated: "Our world is the most precious legacy entrusted to us. Protecting it and building a sustainable future is possible only through sharing our knowledge and experiences and acting with collective wisdom."
She highlighted the significance of her visit to Malaysia, emphasizing the role of cooperation in addressing global challenges. "Today, with our belief in the power of friendship and cooperation, we have taken two important steps to promote global awareness of zero waste," Emine Erdoğan continued.
She expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to explore Kuala Lumpur’s zero waste initiatives. "I had the chance to examine the inspiring zero waste efforts of the Kuala Lumpur Municipality," she wrote, noting her discussions with the wife of Malaysia’s Prime Minister, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and the Mayor of Kuala Lumpur, Maimunah Mohd Sharif.
Reflecting on the agreements signed during the visit, Emine Erdoğan shared her hopes for the future: "I wish success to the cooperation agreements signed between our Zero Waste Foundation, Kuala Lumpur Municipality and the Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Corporation. Like the saplings we planted today, I hope these agreements will take root and contribute to a significant transformation for our common home, the world."
