KUCHING: The state Land and Survey Department (Landas) and the Malaysian Space Agency (MYSA) inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) yesterday (Feb 3).
The MoU was signed for the sharing of information, including satellite image data with a resolution of 1.5 metres, to produce the latest land cover maps.
The collaboration signifies how the department is embarking on a new role to conduct surveys on Sarawak’s continental shelf.
This is in line with the Land Code amendment that seeks control over the state’s airspace, the emission of carbon dioxide, and possible monitesation of carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS).
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan was present to witness the MOU signing ceremony during the LANDAS Summit 2023 dinner held at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK).
During a recent visit to Singapore, the premier said that the Singaporean Minister of Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong had claimed the Malaysian government had not thoroughly studied the CCUS.
“I informed the federal Minister of International Trade and Industry Tengku Dstuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz that Sarawak had already done it.
“We went to London to know how to charge carbon that is stored through the Verified Carbon Standard (VERRA) agency, which is sanctioned by the United Nations (UN),” he said.
Abang Johari emphasised the need for collaboration between Landas and other organisations, pointing out that there are new resources related to land and that the department’s tasks must be in line with the new economy.
“Everything is on land — even though we store carbon on the continental shelf, which is also land. The only difference is that this one is submerged, and the other one is that you can see it on the surface,” he said.
He also noted that surveying work on the continental shelf would be done through remote sensing.
“I do not know at what depth you can get the data, but I am sure you can see what is underneath or what is happening below our land survey,” he added.
Also present were Deputy Premier and Minister of Urban Development and Natural Resources II Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, Deputy Premier Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian, Deputy Minister of Urban Development and Natural Resources Datuk Len Talif Salleh, Deputy State Secretary (Administration) Datuk Buckland Bangik, Ministry of Urban Development and Natural Resources permanent secretary Datuk Zaidi Mahdi, MYSA director-general Azlikamil Napiah and Sarawak Energy Berhad chief executive officer Datuk Sharbini Suhaili.
