Abang Johari (centre) gestures at the launch of Geodrone Initiative. Seen from left are Awang Tengah, Yusoff, Wong and Len Talif. — Photos by Muhammad Rais Sanusi
A Hexa Multirotor (Tarot T810) on display at the launch.
KUCHING: The state government will continue to support Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) in advancing its surveillance technology to ensure sustainable forest management in Sarawak.
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg, who said this, suggested that the corporation adopt censor technology to better monitor the state’s forestry sector.
“Equip your drone with censor technology where it allows you to transmit the data back to the centre. The state government will support you if you want to acquire the latest technology using artificial intelligence (AI),” he said when launching the corporation’s Geodrone Initiative at the SFC corporate office at Jalan Sg Tapang here yesterday.
Abang Johari further said his administration would expect the corporation to uphold its efforts in forest management especially in tackling illegal loggers.
“At least this (drone) technology will monitor the development of our forestry sector to ensure that our resource is well managed and reserved.
“Forestry is a very important sector which has contributed a lot to the state’s coffers besides oil and gas. In order to sustain, we must be innovative in research and give value to our products,” he added.
To ensure forest sustainability, he said the government had implemented industrial forest policy whereby it no longer relied on the state’s primary forest.
He said the move was also meant for “the balancing of the environment”.
He also called upon SFC to continue hauling up illegal loggers, strive to prosecute them and be involved in “a lot of research and development (R&D) in our forest resources”.
“For any country to move forward, you have to explore R&D. It is time for us to leapfrog in our R&D leveraging on ICT (information and communication technology).
“I have allocated RM1 billion to upgrade our internet speed. This is also for R&D because you will need the tools necessary to analyse what you have in order to produce new products,” he pointed out.
Abang Johari lauded the forest industry players for having agreed on increasing the timber premium from 80 sen to RM50 to enable Yayasan Sarawak to provide more scholarships for Sarawakians to go into research.
“I will announce the first batch of recipients to do PhD and undergraduate studies in new courses namely molecular engineering, cloud computing, data analytic, cyber security and biochemistry engineering,” he said.
Based on the information exhibited at the launch, drone technology is meant for, among others, assessment of compliance with stipulated harvesting and environmental requirements and detection of encroachment, if any, outside of licence areas.
The types of drones available include Flying Wing (AIRIS T6), Skywalker and Hexa Multirotor (Tarot T810).
Among those present were Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, Assistant Minister of Urban Planning, Land Administration and Environment Datu Len Talif Salleh, SFC chairman Datu Dr Yusoff Hanifah and chief executive officer Wong Ting Chung.