Students get insight on climate change
Published on: Thursday, May 08, 2025
Published on: Thu, May 08, 2025
By: Jessie Lee Text Size: Mary (fourth from left), Dr Chung (third from left) and other guests at the Youth Camp on Climate Change 2025, held at Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC). (Photo source: Facebook) Kota Kinabalu: Forty students gathered at the Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC) in Sepilok for the Youth Camp on Climate Change 2025, held from April 30 to May 2. The three-day camp, sponsored by the state's Youth and Sports Ministry, was organised by the Sabah Forestry Department. It brought together participants aged 17 to 25 from Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Politeknik Sandakan, Kolej Komuniti Sandakan, Kolej Vokasional Sandakan II and Kolej Komuniti Lahad Datu. Participants were divided into smaller groups and assigned different climate-related topics, which they later presented during the final session of the camp. Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Ellron Angin said the ministry greatly appreciates the initiative in organising the meaningful camp. 'When we were informed that 40 youth from diverse backgrounds and areas of study would gather at the Rainforest Discovery Centre to explore the issue of climate change, we were confident that such programmes deserve our attention and support. 'Your presence here shows that Malaysian youth, especially in Sabah, are not only eager to gain knowledge but also ready to take concrete steps in addressing this challenge,' he said, represented by the Ministry's Deputy Permanent Secretary Mary Paul Mijong Dagul. In line with this hands-on approach, the camp included workshops conducted in collaboration with Sabah Environmental Education Network (Seen) partners such as the Sabah Wildlife Department and Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC). Sabah Forestry Department Chief Conservator of Forests Datuk Frederick Kugan said it is hoped that the Youth Camp on Climate Change would serve as a catalyst for more climate-themed initiatives in the future, with the involvement of youth from all over Sabah. He said it is truly impressive to learn that most of the participants in this camp are not from scientific backgrounds but are passionate to learn and understand climate change issues. 'We believe that the youth, as the heirs of the future, need to be given space to understand and be involved in efforts to address this issue. 'Climate change is not just an issue for experts but a concern that needs to be understood by everyone,' Frederick said, represented by Head of Forest Research Centre Dr Arthur Chung. Participants were divided into smaller groups and assigned different climate-related topics, which they presented during the final session of the camp. They also visited a landfill managed by the Sandakan Municipal Council where they explored the connection between waste management and environmental sustainability. * Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss. * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
20 hours ago
- The Sun
Malaysia, UAE enhance cooperation in talent mobility, workforce upskilling and AI readiness
PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have agreed to enhance bilateral cooperation in areas of talent mobility, workforce upskilling, and artificial intelligence (AI) readiness in response to the rapid evolution of global technology and labour markets. The Ministry of Human Resources (KESUMA) said the agreement was reached during an official meeting between Malaysia's Minister of Human Resources Steven Sim Chee Keong and UAE Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation, Dr Abdulrahman Abdulmannan Al Awar, in Dubai. 'This meeting marks a pivotal step in strengthening future-oriented strategies and partnerships focused on digital labour policies, labour migration, and education transformation,' the ministry said in a statement today. It said the UAE, currently ranked third in the world for AI talent readiness, also shared insights on its successful integration of AI across key sectors such as finance, biotechnology, and public services. 'The UAE minister also emphasised the need for agile education systems and adaptable workforces to address the impact of AI on both manual labour and professional sectors,' it said. KESUMA said Malaysia acknowledged the UAE's leadership in this area and reaffirmed its commitment to preparing its workforce for the AI era. The ministry also highlighted the 2024 TalentCorp study on the Impact of AI, Digitalisation, and the Green Economy on Employment, which identified 10 high-risk sectors likely to face job displacement or transformation. 'This study now serves as the foundation for Malaysia's national strategy on workforce reskilling and upskilling to ensure readiness for a rapidly evolving job landscape,' the ministry said. As a gesture of international collaboration, the UAE has invited Sim to attend the Abu Dhabi Dialogue in February 2026, which will focus on ethical migration, workers' rights, and cross-border policy alignment. Malaysia and the UAE have enjoyed diplomatic relations since 1983, built on shared values and strong economic cooperation. The UAE is Malaysia's second-largest trading partner in the Middle East and hosts a significant Malaysian expatriate community, 13 per cent of whom hold the UAE Golden Visa.
The Sun
21 hours ago
- The Sun
Malaysia, UAE Boost Ties on AI Talent and Workforce Skills
PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have agreed to enhance bilateral cooperation in areas of talent mobility, workforce upskilling, and artificial intelligence (AI) readiness in response to the rapid evolution of global technology and labour markets. The Ministry of Human Resources (KESUMA) said the agreement was reached during an official meeting between Malaysia's Minister of Human Resources Steven Sim Chee Keong and UAE Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation, Dr Abdulrahman Abdulmannan Al Awar, in Dubai. 'This meeting marks a pivotal step in strengthening future-oriented strategies and partnerships focused on digital labour policies, labour migration, and education transformation,' the ministry said in a statement today. It said the UAE, currently ranked third in the world for AI talent readiness, also shared insights on its successful integration of AI across key sectors such as finance, biotechnology, and public services. 'The UAE minister also emphasised the need for agile education systems and adaptable workforces to address the impact of AI on both manual labour and professional sectors,' it said. KESUMA said Malaysia acknowledged the UAE's leadership in this area and reaffirmed its commitment to preparing its workforce for the AI era. The ministry also highlighted the 2024 TalentCorp study on the Impact of AI, Digitalisation, and the Green Economy on Employment, which identified 10 high-risk sectors likely to face job displacement or transformation. 'This study now serves as the foundation for Malaysia's national strategy on workforce reskilling and upskilling to ensure readiness for a rapidly evolving job landscape,' the ministry said. As a gesture of international collaboration, the UAE has invited Sim to attend the Abu Dhabi Dialogue in February 2026, which will focus on ethical migration, workers' rights, and cross-border policy alignment. Malaysia and the UAE have enjoyed diplomatic relations since 1983, built on shared values and strong economic cooperation. The UAE is Malaysia's second-largest trading partner in the Middle East and hosts a significant Malaysian expatriate community, 13 per cent of whom hold the UAE Golden Visa.
Sinar Daily
2 days ago
- Sinar Daily
The future in a grain: Malaysia's bet on gene-edited rice
KUALA LUMPUR - The leaves tell the story. Laid side by side in a research glasshouse at the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mardi) in Serdang, Selangor, the two paddy leaves look alike at first glance. But under the sharp gaze of principal research officer Dr Zulkifli Ahmad Seman, the difference is obvious. One leaf is almost all yellow, a sickly sign of bacterial blight - a disease that has afflicted Malaysian rice fields for decades and caused losses amounting to hundreds of thousands of ringgit. The other is almost entirely green, save for a faint yellowing at the tip. It comes from a rice line Zulkifli and his team edited using CRISPR-CS9 technology. "So with the host, the protein (blight) can't attach because of where we've mutated it. So when it cannot attach, that's where it will stop," he said at Mardi's headquarters. Since 2021, Zulkifli and other Mardi scientists have been involved in a project to develop new genetically edited rice varieties with targeted traits, such as resistance to disease and tolerance to climate challenges like extreme heat and drought. He said they now had a potential gene-edited (GE) paddy line, which is currently undergoing the screening phase. He said so far, their research has shown that blight would only affect 11 per cent of the leaves of GE paddy. The line is not just a scientific breakthrough. It is the first GE plant for Mardi and Malaysia. But as Zulkifli's team approaches the fifth generation of the disease-resistant seed, they are coming closer to confronting an arguably worse challenge than blight: Malaysia's regulatory gray zone. Photo for illustration purposes only. GRAY ZONE Malaysia is one of Asia's highest per capita consumers of rice but it does not grow enough of it. In 2023, per capita consumption was 76.7 kilogrammes per year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security. The numbers have decreased from 2022, showing a 4.7 per cent decrease in rice production, from 2.28 million tonnes in 2022 to 2.18 million tonnes in 2023. According to the same statistics, local rice production can only meet 56.2 per cent of local demand, leaving the country vulnerable to price shocks and supply disruptions. For paddy farmers like 57-year-old Puteh Hassan in Kedah, the worsening weather patterns and recurring disease outbreaks have made harvests increasingly uncertain. "There was one season we were badly hit (by bacterial blight). We lost 60 per cent of our paddy. When it (blight) strikes, there's nothing inside (the paddy husks)... it's empty,' she said over the phone. Zulkifli's research, should it be allowed to continue, may be able to save Puteh's paddy field from another disastrous attack. But the issue putting the research in limbo is whether current regulations on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) should apply to GE crops or not. Unlike genetically modified organisms, GE crops do not contain foreign DNA, such as Bt corn, which has the DNA from the bacterium Bacillus Thuringiensis to make it pest-resistant. Instead, they involve precise deletions or tweaks to existing genes a process some researchers argue is closer to accelerated natural selection. As such, scientists and biotechnologists argue they cannot be judged according to the same standards. So far, the regulatory framework has not caught up. Malaysia's Biosafety Act 2007 governs GMOs but when the law was passed, there was no CRISPR technology or any effective way to edit the genome. The scientists are in a quandary - they are doing ground-breaking work with the potential to help the nation feed its people, but will their GE rice even see the light of day? Bernama contacted the National Biosafety Board (NBB) for clarification but the board did not respond before press time. THE YELLOW FIELDS Puteh remembers the season her paddy fields turned yellow. Born in Kedah and raised by paddy farmers, she then married a paddy farmer. Managing her own paddy field for the past 15 years, Puteh has seen plenty of bad years. But she still remembers when the blight wiped out almost all of her income in 2019. "It was terrible. I lost one tonne of paddy that season," she said. She had hoped the ensuing seasons would be better but she found that her yields either improved marginally or got worse. In recent years, extreme temperatures and sudden floods have become more common. "Climate change is really bad now; all kinds of natural disasters, rain, then, water shortages,' she said. On top of that, blight is still there. Bacterial blight, caused by Xanthomonas oryzae, spreads quickly in flooded paddies and thrives in warm, humid environments like Malaysia's. It browns and withers paddy leaves and cuts grain production, leaving farmers with rotten fields. At the same time, farmers are growing less rice. According to National Association of Smallholders Malaysia president Adzmi Hassan, many smallholders have shifted to more lucrative crops like oil palm. "Have you ever heard of paddy as a commodity that can increase income for small businesses?' he asked. "But we eat rice. There is demand for it here." He added Malaysia should not just look at technology, it should also look at enriching and encouraging paddy farmers to grow the staple crop. One way would be to ensure there is a consistent and predictable yield year by year. For two years in a row, beginning in the 2023/24 season, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) had predicted Malaysia's rice production would be below average. At Mardi's research centre, the GE padi stands as a potential solution. Until they get more information, Mardi researchers are operating under the assumption that their GE rice will not be subject to the same burdensome approval process that stymied past biotech efforts involving GMO products. But, still, the fear is there. The scientists remember all too well efforts to conduct open field trials of a pesticide-resistant strain of GMO padi in Perlis in 2019. Nearby communities and environmentalists protested against holding the trials, in accordance with NBB guidelines. In the end, the project was shelved. Mardi senior research officer Dr Mohd Waznu Adlyl said Malaysia should follow Japan's and a few other countries' lead, which exempts certain gene-edited crops from GMO regulation if no foreign DNA is present. These countries treat GE crops as normal crops as the gene-editing process works just like natural mutations, only faster. He also said the benefits for the world outweighed any potential risks. "We hope this rice that we produce through gene-editing technology can somehow help our (scientists) to produce new varieties because we know, outside, there are many issues, like climate change and new emerging pests," he said. But many disagree, seeing GE foods and GMOs as the same. Third World Network biosafety programme coordinator Lim Li Ching indicated that they were prepared to protest should GE crops be allowed to stage open field trials without any oversight. "Just because we can do it doesn't mean we should," she said via Google Meet from her home in the United Kingdom. While CRISPR technology may work within a plant's own genome, she warned that it can bypass the slow, regulated nature of evolutionary change - introducing traits or gene interactions that may not have natural precedents. She added that even seemingly minor edits could cause unintended effects at the molecular level. Marrying food and technology has rarely if ever received unequivocal support from everyone. While many think the fears surrounding GMOs and now GE technology are overblown, Lim and other environmentalists insist they are not here to stymie biotechnology research or Malaysia's advancement in these sciences. CRISPR-Cas9 is a revolutionary gene-editing tool that allows scientists to make precise changes to an organism's DNA. In plants, the process involves several steps, including causing a break or deletion of a DNA strand, and allowing the plant's natural repair mechanisms to fix the break. This will hopefully result in the desired genetic change. This method enables the development of crops with improved traits, such as disease resistance, drought tolerance and increased yield, without introducing foreign DNA. Despite the supposed benefits, Lim said the benefits may turn into a curse later. "We still need to assess these crops to check for unintended impacts. That's the bare minimum,' she said. GLOBAL GE or GMO While Malaysia grapples with regulatory uncertainties, other countries are moving forward with GE crops. India has released two genome-edited rice varieties aimed at enhancing yield and resilience against environmental stresses. These varieties were developed using genome editing techniques that allow for precise modifications in the plant's DNA without introducing foreign genes. In contrast, Mexico has taken a more cautious approach. In March 2025, the Mexican government amended its constitution to prohibit the use of genetically modified corn seeds, citing concerns over biosafety and the protection of native corn varieties. The ban just applies to GMOs, however, not GE foods. For Malaysia, the adoption of GE crops like Mardi's blight-resistant rice could play a crucial role in enhancing food security. However, without clear regulatory guidelines, these innovations may remain confined to research facilities. Malaysia has set the target of a rice self-sufficiency rate of 80 per cent by 2030, but without intervention, be it via technology or other methods, the nation will likely not meet its goal anytime soon as the world experiences shocks to the supply chain, one after another. Puteh, meanwhile, said she would be interested in trying out a GE crop that is resistant to blight. "But we need to have discussions first. It may not be suitable for our soil here or the costs may be high. But if it's blight-resistant, we are willing to try," she said. - BERNAMA
