By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, April 17: Deputy Secretary of Economic Planning and Development Datu Dr Muhammad Abdullah Zaidel has assumed the position of chairman of Sarawak Biodiversity Council for the 2024–2026 term.
According to a media release, he succeeded Sarawak Secretary Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki who led the council since 2022.
The appointment took place following the council’s inaugural meeting held today.
Muhammad Abdullah expressed his appreciation for the leadership of Abu Bakar and council member (2020–2024) Datu Dr Andrew Kiyu Dawie, a public health professor at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas).
Furthermore, the council extended a warm welcome to two new members namely Sarawak Health Department director Dr Veronica Lugah and Economic Planning Unit (EPU) Sarawak director Datu Lester Matthew in the new line-up.
Sarawak Biodiversity Centre (SBC) chief executive officer Dato Dr Yeo Tiong Chia serves as the secretary.
Members in the new line-up include Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Innovation, and Talent Development Datu Azmi Bujang; Tan Hung Huong representing the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Urban Development; Joseph Chioh representing the State Attorney General; Jeferi Darhman representing the State Financial Secretary; Ivy Lim representing EPU Sarawak, Forest Department Sarawak director Datu Hamden Mohammad; Department of Agriculture Sarawak director Dominic Chunggat; and Paul Bond Chamberlin representing the Controller of Environmental Quality, Natural Resources and Environment Board.
Others on board include prominent business leaders and experts including Anne Kung and Dr Mary Jane Cardosa.
Sarawak Biodiversity Council plays a pivotal role in providing policy decisions and strategic guidance to SBC, particularly in implementing key projects under the Post-Covid Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030.
These projects include the establishment of Sarawak’s first Bioindustrial Park and shaping the direction for the development of SBC’s Green Technologies. — DayakDaily
