By Ling Hui
KUCHING, May 22: The construction of the Sarawak Science Centre is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of this year, says Minster for Education, Innovation and Talent Development Datuk Roland Sagah Wee Inn.
He said his ministry together with Sarawak Research and Development Council (SRDC) are currently working on organising a specialist group to look into the matter to ensure it will be a state-of-the-art centre in the region.
Sagah said the team is determined to intensify interest in learning science among Sarawakians through the science centre and work towards the goal of creating a science literate society.
“We are also exploring opportunities with other science and technological centres around the world through professional associations such as the Asia Pacific Network of Science and Technology Centres (ASPAC) so as to keep abreast with current trends and interests in science as well as for possible exchange of exhibits and talents,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sagah said Sarawak Infectious Disease Centre (SIDC) will sign Memoranda of Understanding with three multinational companies, namely Pacific Biosciences (USA), Agilent Technologies (USA) and Numares AG (Germany) in areas of disease genomics, theranostic biomarker discovery and diagnostic test development.
He said SIDC will enter into research collaborations with the federal Ministry of Health (MoH), the Australian National Phenome Centre, Amili of Singapore and Monash University on communicable diseases, biomarker discovery, and recombinant probiotic technology development for the prevention of disease infection, as well as utilisation of indigenous food as potential pre- and pro-symbiotics for improving immunological defence.
“I know these are big words for non-scientists, but rest assured that all these big words will translate into better health and quality of life in the long run,” he said during his ministry’s winding-up speech at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting here today. — DayakDaily
