A new bill on the establishment of a Sarawak research council will be introduced during the upcoming Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) sitting this November.
The new Bill will coordinate all research and development (R&D) activities in the State so that the efforts on R&D are streamlined to help facilitate the commercialisation of R&D outputs.
“Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) will be an important cluster to our research council,” said Sarawak Chief Minister YAB Datuk Patinggi (Dr) Abang Abdul Rahman Zohari Tun Abang Openg during the Sarawak Forestry 14th Anniversary Dinner on November 2nd.
Touching on the effort for more R&D in the State, YAB Datuk Patinggi (Dr) Abang Abdul Rahman Zohari also urged SFC to look into more research for finding new scientific methodologies not only for trees plantation but also the production of timber products such as furniture.
Apart from R&D, YAB Datuk Patinggi (Dr) Abang Abdul Rahman Zohari said that among other things that should be put into emphasize to enhance forest management includes making the forest as an asset and reduce illegal logging in the State.
As an important asset, he said that efforts must be made to preserve the forest through industrial forest or planted forest to become feed stock for timber development, adding that industrial forest has to be aggressively promoted through R&D.
