Sam Mannan (seventh left) flanked by Law Hui Kong (sixth left) and Prof Dr Sharil Yusof during the launching ceremony of the camp at Segaliud Lokan Forest Reserve.
SANDAKAN: Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) has launched its 16th Forestry Camp at Segaliud Lokan Forest Reserve (SLFR).
This marks another milestone for the forest industry in Sabah for combining forces between the government, education and private company in the forest industry.
The collaboration involving Sabah Forestry Department (government), UMS (education) and KTS Plantation Sdn Bhd (industry) was produced under one of the many initiatives of a Letter of Intent (LoI) that was signed between the three parties, last year.
The LoI contains an agreement by the three parties to prepare for a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that agrees to strengthen, promote and develop long term research, training and academic partnerships on the basis of equality and mutual benefit.
The camp is the first to be organised in the East Coast of Sabah by UMS in collaboration with a private company.
A total of 163 UMS students and over 50 officials from the three parties were involved in the camp which aims to equip participants with basic forestry knowledge and skills to be applied in practices and analysing theories.
It is unique compared with previous camps for it has a new tailor-made module, a Mentoring Program involving a session of sharing of experiences and knowledge on the Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) implementation at Forest Management Unit (FMU) level from experienced mentors among the KTS and the Sabah Forestry Department personnel and UMS lecturers.
The course is conducted for 12 days with emphasis on theory and practice in forestry fields.
Among the topics covered are Forest Survival, Motivation, Survey on Forest Resources and Non-timber Forest, Forest Soils, Forest Community, Wildlife Management, Forest Inventory, Dendrology, Forest Management and Silviculture.
The programme was graced by director of Sabah Forestry Department Datuk Sam Mannan, UMS Deputy Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Sharil Yusof who was representing Vice Chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Harun Abdullah, as well as KTS Plantation Sdn Bhd director Law Hui Kong, representing managing director Datuk Henry Lau Lee Kong.
KTS Plantation Sdn Bhd was appointed by the government to manage SLFR since 1994 and it has been actively implementing the Sustainable Forest Management in managing the forest since 1998.