MALAYSIAN CELEBRITIES GO GREEN

Baki Zainal took one look at the sky and decided it was time his nephews relived his childhood of grass romping and water splashing. In an impromptu decision, he bundled them together, changed them all into swimmers and brought them to the Sg Ulu Yam near Genting Highlands.

But when they actually arrived at the river, it was a sight Baki could not erase from his mind.

Plastic bags floated along the bank of the river. Aluminum cans, papers, plastic bottles, snack wrappers...

A lone yellow butterfly, unable to find its natural food, landed on an empty Mamee packet, attracted by its similar yellow tones, eating the leftover Ajinomoto flavouring.

For the next hour, Baki and his 3 nephews slowly and meticulously, gathered the rubbish, only able to clear a 5 meter radius.

And that thought. The thought of his nephews. His future kids. Not being able to swim and play in mother nature as he did...

It was what made him decide that he needed to not just sit and wait for people to realize what they are doing, but to get up and actually *do *something.

In October 2009, together with Azizi Zakaria, Dina, and Soo Wincci, Baki formed Malaysian Celebrities Go Green.

Partnering with Kiehl's, also known for their environmentalist movements, they gathered more celebrities in different events and junctures to get the word out on Going Green.

Most recently, the Fantastic-MCGG-Four, together with the Leo Clubs of Ipoh, went to Sungai Kinta to clean a part of the river. Yes. You read right. Clean.

Soo Wincci, ex-Miss Malaysia, rushed back to Malaysia from Taiwan just to participate in this environmental movement. Beauty queen or no, she too dug her hands into the grime in hopes of making a positive impact.

Azizi Zakaria quipped, “Many may think that celebrities do this sort of things to obtain glamour and popularity. Well for me, I’d rather look at it from a different perspective! I would say that I *am* indeed using my popularity to show support! If my fans out there would start using one less a plastic bag in support of what I do, then... why not? At least, it got someone’s attention!”

So true isn't it?

The celebs are doing it. The kids are doing it. Isn't it about time we did it? Go green people. And I don't mean Shrekalike.