KUCHING: Thirty fresh graduates from the Forestry Training Institute (FORTRAIN) have jobs ready for them at the Forest Department Sarawak (FDS).
They will be serving the department soon.
FDS director Datuk Hamden Mohamad said Sarawak being the largest forested region in Malaysia with 7.72 hectares of forests, it needed trained employees to look after and manage these areas.
“With them graduating, now is the time for all of them to contribute to society with the knowledge they have gained from FORTRAIN.
“As such, I would like to call on the graduates not to waste the knowledge that they have learned. The knowledge, experience, and skills that they have must be practised with a sense of responsibility, discipline, and dedication.
“All of you will be a pillar in the frontline to preserve and look after the forests in this state. Do not be arrogant and disobey any instruction given because failure to comply will affect the implementation of the department’s operations,” he said in his speech during the FORTRAIN graduation ceremony at the Sarawak Foundation today (Nov 10).
He said FORTRAIN could be used as a model to develop a Malaysian forestry training institute that could benefit the three regions, namely Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak.
“The time has come for us to have a forestry training institute or academy that specialises in forestry.
“Though the implementation and management methods may slightly differ among the regions, it is undeniable that we are managing the same forest resources,” he said.
For the record, FDS was given the opportunity to send a total of 30 trainees to join FORTRAIN per year after signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between FDS and Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia (JPSM).
Hamden revealed that from 2018 to 2022, 87 trainees had successfully completed their training and served the department.
“I hope that this cooperation can continue and be strengthened in the future,” he said.
