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| News at Home | |||||||||
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| AgBiotech & Environment | |||||||||
| Bright prospects for the Malaysian agriculture sector has been predicted as it rides on the economic growth of most Asian countries. This was mainly resultant to the stagnation of the consolidationg developed markets and many American and European companies are scouting for prospects in Asia. It has been expected that Malaysia would have growth of at least 3-4% in the sector before launching itself into the production of biodiesel just as what Brazil has accomplished. |
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The
Sabah Government has furthered their move to promote agricultural
biotechology products by setting up a marketing outlet. The
outlet, named Borneo Galleria, is located at Damai Complex in Kota Kinabalu
and will house agricultural biotechnology products, local food and handicrafts. |
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Wildlife
researchers have been buzzing with excitement lately as the discovery
of a new
carnivore species in Borneo has been announced. The animal,
a mammal slightly larger than a domestic cat has been photographed by
a camera trap in 2003. But researchers for the WWF have yet to confirm
whether the animal is an entirely new species or a new subspecies of
the marten or civet cat. It has been more than a century since a new
carnivore has been discovered in Borneo. |
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Five
biodiversity-rich countries, including Malaysia has been tagged as a
“World
Forest Observatory”; (WFO) site. WFOs are research sites
that investigate the forest from above the canopy to the soil to understand
how the ecosystem reacts to global climate changes. Other countries
included in the scheme are Brazil, Ghana, Madagascar and India, and
Danum Valley in Sabah will be the site for Malaysia’s WFO. |
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| Health & Food | |||||||||
| Research has shown that papaya leaf juice increases the blood platelet count, whereas pegaga leaf juice helps reduce fever. These two properties combined may help in reducing dengue fever. This was mentioned by Dr. Liew Kon Wui from University Sains Malaysia at a herbal workshop at the Caring Society complex. |
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| The
Bintangor tree may be “the Tree of Life” for
many patients across the globe suffering from the AIDS epidemic one
day. From clinical trials run in 1991, a drug extracted from the tree’s
latex exhibited positive reactions against the HIV virus. It is speculated
that the drug synthesized may be produced commercially in several years
time, and should it be as profitable as other anti-HIV drugs, it may
rake in RM1.7 billion a year in revenue for the Sarawak State Government. |
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The dragon fruit is not a native plant of Malaysia, but has recently grown rapidly in popularity for its juiciness and faint sweet-sour taste. With the recent growth in competition, entrepreneurs have been producing manufactured products of the fruit including dragon fruit wine. The wine is made by imitating the fermentation process of grape wines and is fermented for two and a half years before being packaged for sale. |
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| Investment | |||||||||
| Biodiesel is the current buzzword in the industry this month, as many firms have been shifting their collective weight behind the production of palm oil-based biodiesel. The government has announced plans to invest RM120m into biodiesel plants, in a joint venture by the Malaysian Palm Oil Board and Prignitzer Eisenbahn. |
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The
joint venture will see the construction of three biodiesel plants which
would produce 180,000 of biodiesel annually and will be shipped off
to run trains in Germany. On the other hand, FELDA has revealed its
plans to become the biggest
biodiesel producer, and a management taskforce has been set
to oversee its implementation |
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In other news, the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) has voiced interest in supporting growth in the relatively young biotechnology industry in Malaysia. The organization hopes to promote awareness among Japanese companies on the potential of the Malaysian biotechnology sector and enhance industrial competitiveness of the country.
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Policy |
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New
laws governing the international trade
of wild flora and fauna is in the drafting stage in Malaysia
as the country steps up to fulfill its obligations as a party to the
Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora
and Fauna (CITES). The measure was taken as it had to fulfill its obligations
or risk being banned from the multi-billion dollar trade in these plants
and animals. The new piece of legislation, will be a harmonization of
existing laws and include CITES requirements not covered by existing
laws. |
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In other news, Malaysia announced the implementation of a voluntary trail exercise in the use of B5 biodiesel for diesel-fuel vehicles in 2007. The B5 blend is composed of 5% palm olein and 95% fossil fuel. Should the exercise prove successful and accepted, the biofuel will be introduced to all petrol stations from 2007. Frontline individuals in the battle against bird flu including civil servants will be vaccinated when the first batch of Tamiflu vaccine arrives. The measure will cost the Government RM 5 million, but there is no guarantee as no single vaccine has proven effective against the deadly disease. |
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