BY FAROOQ DOGAR
The programme was jointly organised by Padang Besar MP Office, FRIM and Al Jazari Centre of Excellence (COE) with the collaboration of Jabatan Perhutanan Negeri Perlis (JPNPs), Perbadanan Kemajuan Ekonomi Negeri Perlis, Sports Engineering & Artificial Intelligence Center – SEA IC UiTM, Food Security, Innovation and Development Research Centre (FinDER) Universiti Utara Malaysia, as well as Inisiatif Madani Serantau (IMAR) – Agriculture & Food Security Cluster and Economy Cluster.
A total of 41 participants comprising 27 farmers, lecturers, researchers, NGO activists and community leaders from Southern Thailand joined the programme.
This programme aimed to foster collaboration between the two nations in diverse fields, emphasising technology transfer and knowledge sharing through the Al-Jazari COE.
It is anticipated that through this programme, Perlis will play a pivotal role as the gateway to ASEAN countries.
The various activities of the programme included:
✅presentation on teak’s research and development (R&D);
✅visit to selected R&D plots;
✅demonstrations of kacip fatimah and teak breeding;
✅teak composting techniques;
✅production of teak handicraft at the ‘𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗸𝗲𝗹 𝗟𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗸 (Milling Machine Workshop)’; and
✅visit to the station’s CanopyWalkway.
Padang Besar Member of Parliament Rushdan Rusmi planted a kulim tree (𝘚𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘱𝘶𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘴) at the station to support the 𝟭𝟬𝟬 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗲-𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗻 (Kempen Penanaman 100 Juta Pokok).
Rushdan hopes to cooperate with NGOs and agencies from Pakistan and Turkey after this in an effort to promote Perlis.
The participants also visited the Oldest Teak Plot managed by Jabatan Perhutanan Negeri Perlis.
