By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, Dec 11: Forest Department Sarawak (FDS) and the Enforcement Leadership and Management University (ELMU) today inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen and upskill forest enforcement officers in Sarawak.
FDS director Datu Hamden Mohammad said Sarawak remains Malaysia’s largest contributor of forested land, with 62 per cent of the State’s land area still covered by forests, representing 44 per cent of the nation’s total forested areas.
“Thus, it is very important for us to ensure our forests are well protected, not only for our current needs but also for future generations,” he told reporters after officiating at the Forest Protection and Enforcement Awareness Seminar held at a local hotel here today.
Through the collaboration, Hamden said Sarawak will send its officers to ELMU for training, while both parties will jointly develop programmes aimed at enhancing enforcement capabilities not only in Sarawak but across Malaysia.
He added that Sarawak is exploring how ELMU can support enforcement agencies in all three regions—Sarawak, Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia—through advanced training, capacity building and updated knowledge.
“The challenges today are not the same as what we faced 10 or 20 years ago.
“Therefore, our enforcement officers must be equipped with new knowledge, updated laws and current technologies to effectively protect our forest heritage,” he said.
The MoU was signed by Hamden and ELMU vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Kassim Noor Mohamed, witnessed by FDS deputy director Happysuppina Sait and Dean of the School of Investigative Sciences, ELMU, Prof Dr Pakhriazad Hassan Zaki.
— DayakDaily
