Another feather in the cap for Dr Lulie

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Lulie (back row, ninth right) in a group photo with IPS members after the IPS 2018 meeting in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

KUCHING: Sarawak’s very own tropical peat soil expert Dr Lulie Melling has once again done Sarawak and the country proud by becoming the first from Asia to be elected as a member of the Executive Board of the International Peat Society (IPS).

The Malaysian Peat Society (MPS) chairperson’s appointment into IPS Executive Board following the IPS 2018 meeting held in Rotterdam, Netherlands recently proves that Malaysia is now recognised as among the top in tropical peat and scientific research.

“Tropical peatland is a very important Sarawak resource. With both research and innovation, tropical peatland, which was once regarded as a wasteland, has now become a very important arable land for both food and economic security to the state.

“Therefore, being in IPS is a very good platform of cooperation at the international forum and my appointment will help to draw their attention towards the state’s commitment to both development and conservation,” Dr Lulie told The Borneo Post here yesterday.

Lulie’s historic appointment has been quite a long journey particularly for MPS. She said MPS was formed in 2010 and was then the National Committee in IPS.

“MPS immediately joined the bidding to host the 15th International Peat Congress 2016 and we won the bidding to host the congress in Kuching. It was the first time the International Peat Congress was held in Asia, away from Europe and North America,” she remarked.

The Sarawak Tropical Peat Research Institute (Tropi) director also pointed out that MPS has always been in the forefront on peat in the aspects of social, economic and environment.

“For the first time ever, a Malaysian peat expert has been elected as a member of the IPS Executive Board. MPS will continue to live up to expectations and fulfil its objectives on the contribution to the society, industries and the government towards economic development, social progress and environmental protection.

“We also firmly believe that with the strong support of both the federal and state governments, the responsible and sustainable utilisation of tropical peatland for agriculture development will be in good order.”

IPS is the only professional society in the world engaged in the development, protection, restoration,
management and research of peat and peatland.

It holds a Peat Symposium annually and a Peat Congress every four years. The two conferences are an important platform for IPS to conduct academic exchanges, industrial cooperation, information sharing and scientific exchange.