By Shikin Louis & Chris Bishop
KUCHING, Aug 5: Premier of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg has cracked laughter from the audience at the 10th World Congress of Herpetology (WCH10) today after he admits that he is part of the ‘amphibian community’.
Delivering his keynote speech, Abang Johari informed that scientists from various agencies, the Forest Department of Sarawak (FDS), Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC), international counterparts such as the Smithsonian, as well as State-owned Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation (IBEC) of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), have, in the past two decades, described over a hundred new species of plants and animals, including 24 species of amphibians and reptiles.
“I believe many more such species are in the process of description.
“There is one little frog; they named it after me, so I am part of the amphibian community,” he said in jest, garnering laughter from the audience.
Abang Johari also mentioned that over the past two years, specifically in 2023 and 2024, the Sarawak government has been in the process of documenting 18 newly discovered species, with 12 of them being frogs.
“The others are cockroaches, beetles, and lizards. Some of the people who are helping to describe these new species are in this very same room: the WCH10 Congress Director, Prof Dr Indraneil Das,” he added.
The opening ceremony of WCH10 took place at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) here today.
Also present were Deputy Minister for Urban Planning, Land Administration and Environment Datuk Len Talif Salleh who is the advisor of WCH10; UNIMAS Board of Directors chairman Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Sulong Matjeraie; UNIMAS Vice-chancellor Prof Dr Ahmad Hatta Rasit; WCH10 Congress director Prof Dr Indraneil Das; WCH10 secretary-general Dr Judit Vörös; Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) chief executive officer Abang Arabi Abang Aimran; and Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak) chief executive officer Amelia Roziman. — DayakDaily
