KUCHING: Delegates from the British High Commission, Kuala Lumpur have made a working visit to Sarawak Biodiversity Centre (SBC) as part of their official trip to Sarawak yesterday.
British High Commissioner to Malaysia Charles Hay MVO was accompanied by staff, Climate Change advisor Khairun Nisa Zabidi and Climate Diplomacy advisor Nicholas Chan. They were welcomed by SBC Deputy chief executive officer Margarita Naming, principal assistant secretary of the Ministry of Education, Innovation and Talent Development Husini Bakir, and Asha Devi Kaushal.
During the visit, SBC conveyed its keen interest in establishing potential collaborations with British counterparts in the bio industry.
Charles noted that there are great opportunities for British companies to collaborate with Sarawak in terms of biodiversity-related projects and research and its commercialization.
At SBC, the delegates were also briefed on the interesting plants utilised by the indigenous communities in Sarawak.
Charles also visited the proof-of-concept algae production facility at SBC, and took the opportunity to view and take photos of the tree planted by the Royal Highness The Prince of Wales back in the year 2017.
The tour emphasised on SBC’s key activities specifically biodiversity discoveries towards the sustainability and ethical impact on communities in Sarawak.
They were also given insights on the LitSara, Adenosara, and Sekiu Access and Benefit Sharing project, covering communities’ engagement, and the social impacts on the communities’ livelihood, skills, and knowledge.
Charles and the delegates then visited the Natural Product Library, an exclusive collection from unique species of plants and microorganisms from the rainforest of Borneo.
To commemorate his visit, Charles planted the Engkabang Jantong tree (Shorea macrophylla). Biodiversity Centre
This species is endemic to Borneo and locally abundant in mixed dipterocarp forests and it was listed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.
According to SBC, the oil from the seeds (of Engkabang Jantong tree) is known as the “butter from the rainforest” and is used in cosmetics products. It is also one of the species that provide high-quality timber.
