Yayasan Sabah Group (YSG) signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with the Sabah Forestry Department (SFD) and Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) on the Bioprospect Project and Development of Wild Fungi, Wild Ginger and Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (TUB) at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC).

It is an effort towards sustainable development and the conservation of the biological resources of Sabah.

Yayasan Sabah Director Dato’ Sri Gulamhaidar Khan Bahadar signed on behalf of YSG, while SFD was represented by Chief Conservator of Forests Datuk Frederick Kugan and Vice-Chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Kasim Haji Mohd Mansur for UMS.

State Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Dr Mohd Arifin Mohd Arif, who witnessed the signing, commended the collaborative effort made thus far by the Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Ministry (NRECC) and SFD for supporting and channelling funds in preserving and conserving natural resources and the efforts of YSG and UMS in making the TUB project a success.

The TUB project intends to discover species of wild fungi and wild ginger in Sabah, particularly Tuhau, which has high commercial value potential to be marSome of the wild fungi, wild ginger and medicinal and aromatic plants. keted in the future as a proactive approach towards addressing global food security issues.

The project has been carried out in the YSG’s conservation areas, namely Danum Valley, Maliau Basin and Imbak Canyon, besides the Innoprise-FACE Rainforest Rehabilitation Project (INFAPRO) and Innoprise-IKEA Tropical Forest Rehabilitation Project (INIKEA) and other Permanent Forest Reserves in Sabah.

As stated in the signed MoA, the 12th Malaysia Plan (RMK12) Federal Fund has successfully allocated RM5 million to the TUB project for five years, beginning in 2021 and ending in 2025.

“This project also aims to produce PhD and MSc graduates in related fields, and to develop a collaborative network between academia and government agencies in the research field.

“In addition, this project has produced novel product and bio-chemical prototypes and integrated technological knowledge through demonstrations, publications and workshops to local communities and entrepreneurs.

“I am confident that this TUB project will encourage progress in the field of research and development and led innovation, including in the downstream sector for the production of commercial products that will offer economic opportunities and ensure the sustainable management of natural resources in Sabah,” he said.

During the same event, Dr Mohd Arifin also launched two books namely the “Kehidupan dan Adat Suku Murut Tangala, Kg Inarad, Tongod” and “Kepercayaan, Ritual dan Adat Suku Tombonuo, Lingkabau, Sugut” that were published by YSG.

The event was followed by a seminar on the TUB project and the latest findings of the project that has been implemented, which was participated by 150 people from various departments, agencies, organisations and institutions.

The seminar was aimed at raising awareness, particularly regarding the significance of the importance of protecting Sabah’s forest resources.

Sabah is honoured by Prof Dr Justin Sentian, who is the first Malaysian to carry out a long-term research expedition on climate change in the extreme cold winter of Antarctica.

Prof Justin, a Ranau native with Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), has made Sabah very proud by his achievement to carry out seven months of research in Antarctica, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said.

"I say well done and congratulations to Prof Justin because he is the first Malaysian scientist to carry out the research in Antarctica. His achievement makes us very proud.

"What makes it even more special is that the Sabah flag (along with the Malaysian flag) is also flown in Antarctica", he said in a statement on Wednesday (Jan 24).

Prof Justin, together with UMS assistant vice chancellor (strategic) Prof Dr Mohammad Saffree Jeffree and Sultan Mizan Antarctic Research Foundation chief executive officer Abd Shukor Jamaluddin paid Hajiji a courtesy call at his office in Menara Kinabalu here recently.

In a symbolic gesture of the successful completion of the research expedition, Prof Justin returned the Sabah flag to Hajiji which the Chief Minister presented to him on March 10, 2023 before he left for the coldest continent.

Prof Justin, who is with the UMS Faculty of Science and Natural Resources, had conducted his research in the extreme cold Antarctica winter from March 21 to Oct 27, 2023, making him the Malaysian scientist who spent the longest time in the continent.

He carried out his research at the Julio Escudero Station on King George Island.

The expedition, the first of its kind, was organised by Sultan Mizan Antarctic Research Foundation with the Antarctic Research Institute of Chile (INACH).

Prof Justin was given a RM150,000 special research grant from the foundation for a research project related to climate change entitled "Variation of Troposphere Ozone and Halocarbons in the Antarctic Peninsula in Conditions Extreme Weather".

Prof Justin said throughout the expedition in Antarctica, he faced many challenges, especially mentally and physically due to the extreme weather conditions.

"There were times when the air temperature reached -44°C and the wind speed of 120km/h that triggered snow storms," he said.

He hoped the results of his research would have a significant impact on the understanding of ozone variations and hydrocarbon and halocarbon species in extreme weather conditions during winter.

"It can contribute to the generation of new knowledge, not only among atmospheric chemical scientists but also to the whole community - local and global - to better understand the complex relationship with the current events such as climate change and ozone depletion," he said on his research experience in Antarctica.

A three-year study conducted in collaboration with INACH and the University of Santiago examines the role of halogenated reactive halocarbons in surface ozone chemistry and meteorological conditions under extreme winter weather conditions.

Halocarbons are greenhouse gases that can contribute to climate change and it is also responsible for the loss of stratospheric ozone in recent decades.

During his research, Prof Justin gathered data that records variations in surface ozone concentrations and some hydrocarbon gas species such as isoprene during winter in Antarctica.

He also managed to take 197 gas samples from air, snow, sea ice and sea water for the study of the content of halocarbon species such as bromocarbon, among others.

(Photo Source: Chief Minister Office)

The decade-old practice of "sogit", or a traditional form of penalty as well as fine in Sabah’s multi-ethnic society transcends race and religion.

Kota Kinabalu Native Court chief Roger Meylin Impou said that sogit is an age-old practice that has been passed down for generations.

It is to uphold native laws that are very much important and significant to the natives of Sabah, he said at a recent online seminar entitled "Sogit: The evolution of Sogit within the Kadazandusun communities in Sabah".

The seminar was organised by the Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities.

Roger said it aimed at keeping peace, solving conflicts, and calming tensions apart from just penalising one for breaking native laws.

“In the context of the state native courts, sogit involves blood penalties (slaughtering of an animal such as chicken or pig, depending on the severity of the offence) based on the Native Courts Enactment 1995,” he said.

He said that through history, sogit has been expanded towards the interactions between spirits especially in pagan rituals involving "healers or bobolian".

However, these practices are now rare in Kota Kinabalu as many have embraced religion, Roger said.

He said in rural areas, these rituals involving bobolians can still be seen, though it is quite rare as well because there are not many bobolian left in Sabah.

The changing of times and modernisation in social and religious thoughts and practices have not majorly affected how sogit is implemented within the native Kadazandusun Murut and Rungus communities of Sabah who still emphasise on their cultures, he said.

“The youth today feel that sogit is an outdated way of living, but they have no choice but to abide and respect native laws.

"You break a native law, you pay for it and sogit has to be given,” Roger said.

Penampang Native Court chief Viola Giluk Dompok stressed that sogit is a penalty and fine based on native teachings and understandings, and has nothing to do with race or religion.

Anything that involves the natives and their laws, must be upheld and dealt with according to native laws that are different in every village, district and ethnic group, she said.

Giving an example, she recalled how a group of British tourists stripped on Mount Kinabalu, showing immense disrespect to the local cultures as well as people in Sabah in 2015.

“A ritual to appease the people and spirits was held where buffalos and chickens were slaughtered and their blood was splashed on the ground,” said Viola.

She said the fines and penalties in sight were fine-tuned to meet with the changing times, but the fundamentals of it remains.

“The old ways of sogit are still being observed among the older generation though,” she explained.

Viola said for the younger generation, they have very little knowledge about sogit because the norm nowadays mainly involves native rules and regulations when it comes to engagements and marriage between native folks.

“The village chief would talk about what the cultures and traditions are according to native laws for an engagement or marriage ceremony, but other matters relating to native laws are seldom discussed,” she said.

A village chief from Kg Kopimpinan, Putatan, David Raji Joy stated that one of the reasons for this is that many have left paganism to embrace other faiths, and thus have left many native practices behind.

Earlier, event organiser Dr Trixie Marjorie Tangit said the programme, which was attended by 800 participants, was aimed at raising awareness on Sabah’s unique cultures and traditions, and at the same time to impart this knowledge to students.

It is part of the faculty programme titled Cultures and Communities in Sabah.

Also present during the programme was the holder of UMS’ Kadazan Dusun Chair, Datuk Seri Dr Clarence Bongkos Malakun.

KOTA KINABALU: More graduates have been getting jobs in the post-pandemic period, says Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Mustapha Sakmud.

He said statistics from the ministry's Graduate Tracking System (SKPG) showed 29,099 unemployed graduates in 2022, a drop of 12,368 from the 41,467 recorded in 2021.

"The graduate unemployment rate in 2022 decreased to 9.8% compared to 14.5% the previous year," he added.

Sabah also saw a drop in graduate unemployment rate, from 21.8% in 2021 to 14.2% in 2022, he added.

"This shows... the level of marketability of graduates and job opportunities are increasing, especially in the period following the Covid-19 pandemic," he said at the MyFuture Jobs @ MOHE Borneo Zone Career Carnival at the Sabah International Convention Center (SICC) here on Sunday (Jan 21).

More than 1,000 job opportunities are being offered by 23 participating employers to locals, especially graduates from higher education institutions, at the job carnival.

Mustapha said it was important for both private and public universities to put in efforts to provide quality graduates who are employable not only locally but overseas as well.

"Graduates need to be given exposure (to develop) critical thinking skills, leadership, teamwork and a global (outlook).

"Today's job market (amid) economic uncertainty is challenging, so graduates need to be prepared to compete," he added.

The carnival was organised by the ministry in collaboration with Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), the Human Resource Management Department and Socso.

Mustapha said job carnivals were an ongoing effort by the government to ensure that jobseekers get opportunities from various sectors to address the issue of unemployment and lost jobs among Malaysians.

"In the current situation, cooperation among the government sector, private sector, industry players and educational institutions is key to achieving our goal in developing quality human resources, especially in Sabah.

"We need unity in action to address the issue of graduate employability.

"Platforms such as career carnivals, dialogue sessions between industry and academia, as well as collaborative programmes like this should be held regularly," he added.