By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, June 5: Sarawak is planning to establish its own veterinary faculty in Semenggok to address a critical shortage of veterinarians in the State, which currently has only 15 registered veterinary doctors for a population of 2.5 million.
Sarawak Minister for Food Industry, Commodity, and Regional Development, Datuk Seri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom, said the State’s livestock and animal health sectors are expanding rapidly, but the current workforce is insufficient to meet both present and future needs, as reported by TVS.
“I once visited Brazil—they have 4,000 veterinarians. We only have 15 in Sarawak. Clearly, we are far behind. That’s why we are proposing to set up our own veterinary faculty in Semenggok to train more local experts,” he said.
Dr Rundi was speaking to reporters during his visit to the Halal Slaughter Complex in Siburan today, operated by PPES Ternak Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of the Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC).
He said Sarawak also plans to take over Universiti Putra Malaysia’s (UPM) campus in Bintulu to establish a veterinary education centre, as part of a broader initiative to strengthen local training capacity in the field.
Currently, Malaysia has only two veterinary faculties—UPM in Selangor and another in Kelantan—making access to veterinary education limited and costly.
“Malaysia itself is facing a shortage of veterinarians. Producing a vet is expensive, but we aim to train at least 50 Sarawakian graduates a year to support our local industry,” he said.
Dr Rundi added that discussions with UPM’s Senate have progressed well, with in-principle approval granted and accreditation to remain under UPM. — DayakDaily
