KOTA SAMARAHAN: The Sarawak government is committed to enhancing food security given its importance to the well-being of the people.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said agricultural and food production programmes have been ramped up to meet this goal.
The state is dedicated to ensuring Sarawakians have reliable access to adequate, safe, and nutritious food, he said at the fourth session of the Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) convocation ceremony here on Wednesday (Nov 6).
Uggah who also Pro Chancellor of Unimas, in this respect, highlighted the vital role of collaboration between Unimas and the state government in agricultural and nutritional research.
“This partnership is essential to increasing the productivity and quality of local food.
“I am confident that with this integrated approach, we can achieve improved food resilience and, in turn, support the well-being of the people of Sarawak,” he said.
In addition to food security, Uggah also expressed the government’s serious commitment to addressing climate change, recognising it as a growing global concern.
He highlighted the state’s strategic efforts to reduce its carbon footprint and its firm stance on forest preservation and ecosystem protection as key to mitigating climate impacts.
“Awareness of climate change impacts and initiatives to reduce carbon emissions are increasingly becoming priorities.
“Through strategic collaboration with Unimas, we hope to strengthen research and awareness programmes on environmental conservation and green practices,” he noted.
Uggah urged the graduating class to uphold Sarawak’s environmental heritage and to commit to sustainable practices.
Meanwhile, the fourth session of the convocation saw 186 graduates from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and 344 graduates from the Faculty of Engineering receiving their Bachelor’s degrees.
The fifth session held in the afternoon involved the awarding of Bachelor’s degrees to 282 graduates from the Faculty of Applied and Creative Arts and 279 graduates from the Faculty of Resource Science and Technology.
A total of 3,100 undergraduate graduates will be celebrated at the convocation ceremony held from Tuesday to Thursday.
