Higher degree of research activities in Sabah’s ‘Lost World’ in 10 years
KOTA KINABALU: In the next 10 years, Yayasan Sabah Group, which manages the Maliau Basin Conservation Area (MBCA), on behalf of the Maliau Basin Management Commitee (MBMC), hopes to see a higher degree of research activities in the Maliau Basin.
It’s conservation and environmental management division manager, Dr Waidi Sinun said in the last 10 years, activities at the Maliau Basin – also known as ‘Sabah’s Lost World’ – centred more on survey and providing basic facilities and infrastructure for reseachers.
“We hope that after 10 years, there will be a time whereby, activities related to usage of the area becomes more enhanced and intensified.
“For example, in the last 10 years, we have been busy trying to know more about the place, meaning a lot of expeditions and research activities were carried out.
“Now, we can move on to a higher degree of research activities because MBCA now has the facilities, (while) we have the research station inside, as well as a study centre,” he said.
He was speaking to reporters after the opening ceremony of the Maliau Basin Conservation Area Plan Stakeholders Workshop here yesterday.
The workshop, attended by MBMC’s stakeholders, includes the Sabah Forestry Department, Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry, Universiti Malaysia Sabah and several other agencies, was officiated by the ministry’s assistant minister, Datuk Pang Yuk Ming. Pang officated the event on behalf of the minister, Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun.
The workshop is aimed at, among others, to gather information and views for the formulation of the new MBCA Managment Plan for the MBMC in the next decade.
The MBCA Managment Plan formulated in 2003, expired last year. The new MBCA Managment Plan is scheduled to be launched in January next year.
MBCA is a huge bowl of almost prestine forest, and guarded by formidable cliffs. It is described as one of the few remaining relatively untouched wilderness areas in the world and covers an area of about 58,840ha. Its location is in South-central Sabah. — Bernama
Source: Daily Express
