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Borneo Post
18-06-2025
- Business
- Borneo Post
UPM Bintulu rebranding to boost Sarawak's higher education autonomy, says Dr Rundi
Dr Rundi speaks to the media during the doorstop interview while flanked by his deputies Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail (right) and Datuk Martin Ben. KUCHING (June 18): Sarawak will be able to chart the course of its own higher education direction and priorities, particularly in key fields such as agriculture, veterinary science and renewable energy, following the upcoming rebranding of Universiti Putra Malaysia Sarawak Bintulu Campus (UPMKB) to UPM Sarawak (UPMS), said Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom. The State Food Industry, Commodity, and Regional Development Minister said the transformation, set to be formalised in a proclamation ceremony at the Istana Alam Shah in Selangor this June 30, marked a significant milestone in Sarawak's long-term vision of developing its own education ecosystem that is tailored to the state's development needs and aspirations. 'When the university is declared as UPM Sarawak, Sarawak would be in a better position to plan and implement academic programmes that respond directly to the needs of the state. 'We can plan for our very own school of veterinary medicine, and other specialised programmes such as those related to agriculture, green energy, hydrogen and other fields that are important to us,' he told reporters when met after officiating the Sarawak Department of Agriculture Appreciation Ceremony here today. Dr Rundi, who will be accompanying Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg to the proclamation ceremony, described the upcoming declaration as a 'dream come true' for Sarawak. He said Abang Johari had expressed readiness to assist UPM in managing the Bintulu campus, given its distance from the university's main campus in Peninsular Malaysia. 'Previously, His Majesty the Sultan of Selangor had mentioned in a conversation that UPM Bintulu Campus sits on a large piece of land and has produced many graduates over the years and whether it would be possible for Sarawak to look after the campus. 'So, the Premier said it should not be a problem, and the state would try to assist UPM because it (Bintulu campus) is quite far from Peninsular Malaysia,' he said. He said further details on matters such as fees and governance would be worked out in due course, with the ultimate goal of ensuring that UPM Sarawak is fully integrated into Sarawak's vision for education and talent development. 'Maybe we are going to develop it the same way we have done so with our state-owned universities. 'Right now, we already have Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus, Curtin University Malaysia and so on. So, we will have more universities belonging to Sarawak,' he said. Last month, a delegation from UPM paid a courtesy call to Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Pehin Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar and his wife Toh Puan Datuk Patinggi Fauziah Mohd Sanusi to formally invite them to attend the proclamation ceremony of UPMS on June 30. According to the Head of State's official Facebook page, the ceremony to mark the rebranding of the university is in recognition of Sarawak's significant role in the development of national higher education. dr stephen rundi higher education autonomy UPM Bintulu
The Star
22-05-2025
- General
- The Star
Sarawak acts against alien fish
Invasive foreign fish species such as suckermouth catfish and African catfish have been identified as major threats to Sarawak's native fish ecosystem. State Deputy Food Industry, Commodities and Regional Development Minister Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail said their presence threatened local species such as empurau and tengadak (lampam sungai). Foreign fish species also disrupted the environmental balance and impacted livelihoods of local communities who rely on inland fishery resources, he said. 'Some of these alien fishes are farmed commercially. 'I hope farmers will not arbitrarily release these fishes into our rivers or lakes,' he said in his reply to a question from Datuk Mohd Chee Kadir (GPS-Kabong) during the Sarawak State Assembly sitting in Petra Jaya, Kuching. Bernama reported Dr Abdul Rahman saying that the ministry, in collaboration with various agencies, had implemented a programme to hunt invasive foreign fish species in Sungai Sarawak. This effort, he said, was aimed at reducing their threat, raising public awareness and conducting an inventory of inland fishery resources. To a supplementary question from Mohd Chee, Dr Abdul Rahman said various initiatives were also being undertaken to replenish local fish stock. 'Sarawak Agriculture Department, under my ministry, is actively carrying out a programme to release native fish fry such as empurau, tengadak, lampam jawa as well as udang galah into rivers across Sarawak. 'This is part of efforts to restore the ecosystem and improve native fish populations. 'In Kabong alone, in September 2022, a total of 5,000 lampam fry were released into Tanjung Kembang, while in November 2024, 6,000 lampam fry were released at Rumah Jambu Rantau Sukat Orban,' he said. Apart from inland waters, efforts are also being intensified to strengthen marine fisheries resources, with a total of 201,972 artificial reef units anchored across 77 marine areas in Sarawak as of last year. 'In Kabong waters alone, 17 artificial reef units were anchored in July 2024 and another 17 units are scheduled to be deployed this August. 'This project is supported by an allocation of RM20mil from the Federal Government and RM30mil from Sarawak government,' Dr Abdul Rahman added.
Borneo Post
15-05-2025
- Business
- Borneo Post
Sarawak's first mozzarella cheese plant in Merapok set to start production this August
Buffaloes grazing at the Meragang breeding station. LAWAS (May 15): The Green Valley Dairy Farm, Sarawak's pioneer cheese producer, is set to roll out its first batch of mozzarella cheese from its processing plant in Merapok here this August. Deputy Minister of Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail said this production will put the RM16-million facility located at the Meragang Buffalo Breeding Station on the international radar as a producer of quality buffalo milk mozzarella for international markets. 'This facility will position Lawas as the largest mozzarella cheese producer in the Southeast Asian region, targeting exports to European and regional markets. 'With financing from Agro Bank, the installation of this cheese processing equipment will begin this June, and production is targeted to come on stream in August,' he said after a working visit to the Meragang Buffalo Breeding Station on Wednesday. Accompanying him were Lawas MP Datuk Henry Sum Agong and Lawas Veterinary officer Robine Asut. Dr Abdul Rahman added that the Meragang station will house over 700 Murrah buffaloes from Australia, including over 200 heads in the first phase. 'More than 200 Murrah buffaloes imported from Australia are currently being quarantined in Miri, and are expected to be brought to Lawas by the end of this month. 'Meanwhile, for the second phase, the Veterinary Department will receive more than 500 buffaloes of the same species by the end of the year, bringing the total number of buffaloes we expect being placed at the Meragang station close to 1,000,' he said. Murrah buffaloes can produce between 16 litres to 20 litres of milk daily compared to the current paddy buffaloes, which produce less than six litres per day. Mozzarella cheese is currently processed in Langkawi and is halal, as well as produced on a small scale in Selangor. The upcoming Lawas production will be the biggest in the country. In view of this, the Green Valley Dairy Farm has linked up with potential buyers from the Middle East, Africa, and Europe for export of its mozzarella cheese products through the global trade network in Dubai. Green Valley Dairy Farm merapok Mozzarella cheese
The Sun
10-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Sarawak committed to becoming net food exporter by 2030
SIBU: Sarawak is committed to transforming the agricultural sector towards a more modern and competitive direction in efforts to achieve the status of a net food exporter by 2030. Its deputy minister of Food Industry, Commodities and Regional Development, Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail said last year the state recorded a food trade deficit of RM6.44 billion, with import values reaching RM7.62 billion compared to exports of only RM1.18 billion. 'This clearly shows that Sarawak is highly dependent on imported food. Therefore, it is time for us to rise as the main food producers of the nation,' he said while officiating the National Farmers' Conference 2025 here today. He was representing Food Industry, Commodities and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom at the event organised by the Sibu Vegetable Planters Association. According to Dr Abdul Rahman, various challenges such as climate change, geopolitical tensions, and rising logistics costs are putting significant pressure on the global and regional food systems. To address these challenges, he said the Sarawak government has outlined several key initiatives including the development of agro and aquaculture parks; the Sarawak Agrotechnology Park (SARTECH) and Precision Farming Park; the construction of Collection, Processing and Packaging Centres (CPPC) and agrofood terminals; improvements to irrigation and drainage infrastructure for commercial rice planting projects; the development of a local seed industry; and the implementation of stricter biosecurity controls. He urged greater involvement of more young people and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the agricultural sector, especially with the use of modern technology such as the Internet of Things (IoT), mechanisation and automation. 'Agriculture is no longer a 3D job (dirty, dangerous and difficult). It is now a professional career with the potential to generate substantial income,' he said while urging for strengthened strategic collaboration between the government and private sector to accelerate the process of agricultural transformation in Sarawak. Earlier, he expressed his appreciation to the Sibu Vegetable Planters Association for organising the conference, which was the first of its kind held in Sarawak, successfully attracting over 700 participants from the rest of Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam. 'This conference serves as an important platform for experts and agricultural entrepreneurs to share knowledge and formulate strategies towards more sustainable and competitive agriculture,' he added.
