UMS research on molecular component of plants, trees

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Kamarudin (left) and Berhaman (centre) speaking to the press.

Kamarudin (left) and Berhaman (centre) speaking to the press.

KOTA KINABALU: Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) International Tropical Forestry is researching into the molecular component of plants and trees.

According to the chairperson of the 2016 World Forestry Day celebration at UMS near here yesterday, Dr Berhaman Ahmad, the research is aimed at studying the differences between plants and trees found in Sabah.

He said that from their research, they had even found a new plant species that had been named after the Chief Minister of Sabah, Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman.

UMS was also working with the private sector in the forestry sector to carry out students’ internship programmes. One of such entities was the Bornion Timber Sdn Bhd, he said.

“We send out students there for internship. They stay there for about six months, the longest internship available so far,” he said.

They were also working at producing herbal products or non-wood forest products, Dr Berhaman said.

The aim of venturing into such endeavours was to help UMS improve its ranking with other tertiary educational and research institutes in the world, he said.

Also present was UMS deputy vice chancellor Professor Dr D. Kamarudin D. Mudin who represented the vice chancellor, Professor Datuk Dr Mohd Harun Abdullah.