Ministry Looking Into Harnessing Sabah's Potential For Marine Biotech

KOTA KINABALU, April 5 (Bernama) -- Marine biotechnology will be a major focus under the Tenth Malaysia Plan (10MP), with Sabah given the priority in light of its strength to exploit this particular area.

Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili said Sabah whose boundary was two-thirds surrounded by waters that were protected by the authorities, had yet to explore this area to its full potential.

"This can be done alongside biodiversity, which can be both land and sea.

Malaysia's seas have not really been explored, for we have been exploiting what is visible to the eyes. But under the sea, there are so much more resources that can be tapped and biotechnology can be the platform to do that.

"The available expertise at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) to be used for the purpose may be adequate or needs to be expanded."

Ongkili said this after officiating at the Research and Design Competition (Pereka) 2010 and witnessing the signing of two memorandums of understanding (MoUs) at UMS here, Monday.

He said the ministry wanted to support some of the research undertaken by UMS, for instance, on cultivating algae as an energy source, using proper lighting.

In general under biotechnology, Ongkili said, the ministry was focusing on industrial biotechnology, health biotechnology and agriculture biotechnology under the next Malaysia Plan.

On the progress of establishing the Malaysian National Innovation Centre (MyNIC), Ongkili said it was in the final stage and the paper was expected to be ready for presentation to the Cabinet by end of this month or early May.

"It is hoped that MyNIC will spearhead commercialisation of research and development (R&D), where it will see which innovations and inventions from the universities have the potential to be commercialised."

Meanwhile, the two MoUs signed were between UMS and government-owned Sirim Bhd and between USM and Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia (MyIPO), an agency under the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry.

Under the Mou signed between UMS and Sirim, the parties involved will look at the research output with the potential to be commercialised, whereby Sirim will look for potential customers from the private sector and at branding and packaging.

As for the MoU with MyIPO, MyIPO will look into getting the research output with the potential for commercialisation to be patented as intellectual property, which will help raise quality.

UMS vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Seri Kamaruzaman Ampon represented the university, while Sirim Bhd was represented by its vice-president Dr Zainal Abidin Yusuf and MyIPO by its director-general Kamil Mohamad.