Leading NGO activist Dr Mohammed Anwar Fazal Mohammed has been awarded the Langkawi Environmental Award 2007 by the Malaysian government yesterday in conjunction with World Environment Day.

The Langkawi Award - that honours one Malaysian every year for contributions to the environment - includes a certificate from the Yang di Pertuan Agong and a cash prize of RM10,000.

Anwar founded several local and global citizens movements including the Consumers Association of Penang, International Baby Food Action Network, Health Action International, Pesticide Action Network (PAN), Consumer Interpol.

He was also involved with the setting up of the World Alliance for Breast-feeding Action (Waba), Water Watch Asia, the Sustainable Transport Action Network, Waste Wise Asia, Asian Partnership for International Migration and the Malaysian Society for Transparency and Integrity.

anwar fazal 201006 The Perak-born activist started several global popular mobilisation initiatives including World Consumer Rights Day (March 15), World Wetlands Day (Feb 1), World Breast-feeding Week (Aug 1-7) and World Migrants Day (Dec 18).

He is no stranger to awards as he has previously received the Consumer Activist of the Year Award from Penang and the federal government in 1993 and 2000 respectively.

Anwar was also the recipient of the ‘Right Livelihood Award’ (for work in protecting the public interest in1982), ‘Global 500 Award’ from UN Environment Programme (for work on consumers and the environment), ‘International Health Award’ by La Leche League (for promoting the welfare of mothers and children in 1995) and ‘Activist of the Year’ by Multinational Monitor (in 1983).

A trained economist and educated at Universiti Malaya, he started his career teaching and later worked as a civil servant in different government departments.

He then left to work full-time for civil society with the then International Organization of Consumers Unions now known as Consumers International.

Regional advisor

In 1972, he was awarded the Eisenhower Fellowship to study urban affairs in the United States and later went to United Kingdom under a British Council programme to study new towns in the country.

Meanwhile between 1991 to 2004, Anwar served as senior regional advisor with the United Nations Development Programme and work on three initiatives to support the work of communities to improve the urban environment and promote good governance - Asia Pacific 2000, Urban Management Programme for Asia and the Pacific and The Urban Governance Initiative.

Currently he is the chairperson emeritus of WABA, Taiping Peace Initiative and the Malaysian Interfaith Network.

jeanne abdullah 300508 02 He is also on the Board of Citizens International, Sahabat Alam Malaysia (Friends of the Earth Malaysia), PAN, Transparency International Malaysia, Friends of the Penang Botanic Gardens Society, Penang Free School (PFS) Foundation and is a trustee of the Penang Heritage Trust.

The award was presented to him at a special ceremony by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s wife, Jeanne Abdullah (right ) in Putrajaya.

Previous recipients include former environment and public health minister James Wong Kim Min, social activist Lee Lam Thye and Yayasan Anak Warisan Alam founder Khadijah Abdul Rahman.