Agency plants tualang saplings to show importance of strong financial foundation

When a famous 500-year-old tualang tree fell in a Pahang village recently, a national debt management agency saw parallels between the tree’s life and the organisation’s mission.

Credit Counselling and Management Agency (AKPK) then carried out a planting of two tualang saplings at the village, Kampung Kuala Wau in Maran.

The event drew a crowd of over 200 which included schoolchildren and teachers.

In this village about an hour-and-40 minutes’ drive inland from state capital Kuantan, the fallen tualang tree had been known as the only one in the country situated within a populated area.

It had enjoyed wide coverage on national news in 2016, becoming a symbol of both natural heritage and community pride.

In a press statement, AKPK said the tree planting helped draw public attention to the agency’s main role as well as its corporate social responsibility duties.

Themed “Sustainable Communities through Financial Resilience: Replanting of Tualang Trees”, the event was led by AKPK chief executive officer Azaddin Ngah Tasir.

Also present were chief assistant district officer (land) Halimah Tus Saadiah Mohd Halim representing the Maran District and Land Office, and Forestry Department representatives.

In her welcome address, Halimah spoke of the event’s significance and AKPK’s noble gesture.

“The children present today will see for themselves how many years this new tualang tree will stand tall,” she said.

Azaddin said AKPK aimed to be the pride of Malaysian financial consumers as the tualang tree had been to the villagers.

“AKPK aspires to be the institution the Malaysian public turns to for sound financial management and designing good financial behaviour at the individual, community and national levels.

“For centuries, the tree stood tall until its foundation was finally compromised, leading to its fall.

“Similarly, many people focus on income and gains, yet financial management is the true foundation of wealth.

“Our role is to help individuals build a solid financial foundation to support their ambitions and withstand the test of time,” he added.

AKPK also celebrated its 18th anniversary by releasing a book titled The Humble Giant: A Story of Humanity.

With the central theme of “dream big, start small, grow significantly”, the book reflects AKPK’s journey in fostering financial resilience among Malaysians.

Azaddin also said the tree showed early signs of decline before it fell, using this analogy to stress the importance of early detection and action in managing financial health, preventing indebtedness and avoiding bankruptcy.

“At AKPK, we emphasise the importance of addressing financial issues early, before these become unmanageable.

“In planting two new tualang trees, we symbolise that it is never too late to correct our mistakes and strive for a better future for the next generation.”

Concluding the event was the release of 30,000 Lampam fingerlings into the village ponds.

This was aimed at sustaining the local ecosystem and adding to the villagers’ income through fish farming.