style="text-transform: uppercase;">Kota Kinabalu: Sabah has become a consistent international training ground for integrated biodiversity and ecosystem management, said State Secretary Tan Sri Sukarti Wakiman. He disclosed this in his speech delivered by Deputy State Secretary (Development) Datuk Pounis@Joseph Guntavid during the closing of the Sabah Third Country Training Programme (TCTP) held at Universiti Malaysia Sabah's Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation here, Tuesday.

According to him, the programme is based on the arrangements made between Malaysia and Japan which are long known for the many collaborations accomplished in order to share Sabah's experiences in the implementation of integrated biodiversity and ecosystem management.

He said under the Malaysian Technical Cooperation Programme (MTCP), Malaysia had already conducted more than 20 of such training programmes annually throughout the country in different areas of specialisation.

"Universiti Malaysia Sabah is proud to be one of them that offers a programme under the theme of Biodiversity and Conservation," he said, adding that the TCTP in collaboration with the Japan government through Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) is one of the programmes under the MTCP and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"Participants have undergone a series of discussion and workshops to come up with project proposals or plans of action for their own countries by emulating and considering the experiences, knowledge and skills that they have garnered and gained in Sabah," he said.

Subsequently, the Sabah TCTP Secretariat, according to him, will follow up on the progress of the implementation of the plans of action by all participants who are now the alumni of the TCTP.

The participants were from ten countries namely Tanzania, Kenya, Botswana, India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and the Philippines.

Meanwhile, Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation Director Professor Dr. Charles Santhanaraju Vairappan said to date, a total of 17 countries with more than 52 foreign government agencies have benefited from the success of Sabah in integrating all stakeholders in the conservation of its biodiversity and ecosystem.

The Borneon Biodiversity and Ecosystem Conservation (BBEC) Project which was implemented by Jica as well since 2012 in cooperation with the State government and UMS under the Japan Official Development Assistance (Oda) had also trained a large number of officers from Sabah.

"They are now assets to Sabah in managing the valuable natural resources that Sabah is blessed with," he said, adding that they were also the officers and researchers who trained the participants from other developing nations in Sabah TCTP.

Jica Malaysia representative Shinobu Yoshizawa also hoped the participants will try to apply the formulated action plan and put it into action to solve issues at their workplace in their respective home country.

"And also, do continue to maintain close relationship or network among fellow participants and related agencies in Malaysia established during the course; and continue exchanging ideas and new discoveries for mutual benefits," he said.

Later, Sukarti thanked all parties involved who had contributed their efforts and expertise in making the training programme a success.

"I must also extend my gratitude to the Malaysian government particularly the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, MTCP and Jica for their continuous support towards this training programme in Sabah," he added.