KUCHING (Aug 2): The Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation (STIDC) is committed to spearheading, regulating, facilitating and promoting high-income timber and bamboo industries of Sarawak to produce high value-added products by leveraging on digitalisation, said Zainal Abidin Abdullah.

The STIDC general manager said the corporation had successfully formulated the Sarawak Bamboo Industry Development Master Plan in 2019 and had since then, identified four key focus industries, namely charcoal, engineered bamboo, food and handicraft.

“This was followed by collaboration and awareness programmes to promote bamboo as raw material to complement timber.

“The identified participants of these programmes are the communities and commercial planters throughout Sarawak.

“This is in line with the aspiration under the Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030 to promote social inclusivity, environmental sustainability and economic prosperity towards ‘Sarawak Maju Makmur’,” he said at the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signing ceremony for the establishment of commercial bamboo plantation between STIDC and Rich Venture Plantation Sdn Bhd here today.

He pointed out that STIDC, as the lead agency to champion the development of the state’s bamboo industry, achieved a significant milestone with the signing of the MoU which complemented the corporation’s goal to enable the Sarawak government to coordinate and implement the overall timber industry development strategies.

“The MoU signed today also represents earnest effort towards the objective of exploring the processing of commercial bamboo plantation into high value-added products aligned with market opportunity, demand and offtakes requirement particularly in production of biomass, charcoal and food packaging products.

“I believe this MoU will further enhance the interchange of ideas between STIDC and Rich Venture Plantation Sdn Bhd.

“I am sure we will be able to create synergy and sparkle off innovative ideas, sowing the seeds that one day will bring forth long-term benefits to both parties,” he said.

With strong commitment from both parties, Zainal is optimistic that STIDC’s partnership with Rich Venture Plantation will attract more quality investments to Sarawak, particularly in areas that are high value-added, capital and knowledge intensive.

Meanwhile, Rich Venture Plantation director Hii Wei Wen said bamboo has been readily cultivated in many countries and has grown to become a US$72 billion industry with a compound annual growth rate of 8.2 per cent.

“These findings have shown us that bamboo farming is indeed viable and has a promising future for Sarawak due to its growing global demand.

“We applaud the efforts of STIDC in the creation of its Sarawak Bamboo Industry Development Masterplan, to encourage the growth of commercial bamboo plantations statewide, and are proud to work together to make this vision a reality,” he said, expressing confidence that the programme will generate sustainable returns without neglecting the environment Sarawak has been blessed with.

He regarded this MoU initiative as one step towards encouraging the growth of biodiversity and materialising Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg’s vision for sustainable economic development.

“Our Premier has been extremely committed in transforming Sarawak into a sustainable and self-sufficient state and sustainable business practices are necessary for the preservation of our future.

“In this sense, we must be like the bamboo; flexible, bending in the wind but never breaking and capable of adapting to any circumstances.

“Unity leads us to prosperity, and for that reason we must work together towards a greener future as it is only then that our goal to achieve net zero emissions can be achieved,” Hii remarked.

Zainal and Hii later signed the MoU on behalf of their respective organisations in a ceremony which was witnessed by Abang Johari, Deputy Natural Resources and Urban Development Minister Datuk Len Talif Salleh and Rich Venture Plantation managing director Dato Hii King Chiong.