Sabah Wetland Conservation Society signs MoA with gas company

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Wetland Conservation Society (SWCS) has signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) with Talisman Energy Inc, a Canadian-based oil and gas company, to promote awareness on mangrove conservation among the younger generation.

Under the agreement, SWCS will receive funding from Talisman Malaysia Limited (TML) to carry out the paper making and clothes dyeing projects where they will engage primary and secondary school students statewide for ‘out-of-the-classroom’ activities to create and use products made from mangrove trees.

SWCS president, Zaini Aucasa said the purpose of the engagement was to expose and educate the younger generation about the importance of the wetland ecosystem and the increasingly urgent need to conserve them.

“Talisman will provide the funding and our role under the MoA is to ensure that projects are fully implemented as planned to meet their objectives.

“We want the students to be actively involved, not just be a passive recipient in learning about the mangrove ecosystem. We want them to see the importance of the mangrove environmentally, and how we can conserve while at the same time utilise the wetland sustainably for economic benefits, and we want them to do this through participation in a hands-on project,” said Zaini.

The signing was held in conjunction with the launch of Talisman-sponsored “Handicrafting From Mangrove Project”, a programme involving over 250 secondary school students around Kota Kinabalu organised by SWCS.

The launch was held at the Kota Kinabalu Wetland Centre in Teluk Likas as part of SWCS World Earth Day celebration, and was officiated by Sabah Wildlife Department director, Datuk Dr Laurentius Ambu, representing Permanent Secretary to the Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister, Datuk Michael Emban.

Senior Vice-President and Country Manager Ron Aston represented TML at the launch and the MoA signing.

In his speech at the launch, Aston revealed that apart from SWCS, TML has collaborated with the Malaysia Nature Society in the last two years to monitor changes in marine and coastal ecosystems in Terengganu and Sabah.

He said Talisman had contributed more than RM330,000 for the project, which involved villagers from Kampung Meruntum in Putatan, local district councils, various government agencies as well as experts from Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS).

As a demonstration of its commitment towards getting young Sabahans into the oil and gas industry, he said Talisman will also be offering several scholarships to local undergraduates at UMS starting this year.

“In addition, we are also looking at possibilities of sponsoring trainee technicians from Sabah to pursue certified courses so that they can be considered as operation technicians at our offshore facilities,” he added.

Talisman has been operating mainly in Peninsular Malaysia for over 12 years and recently expanded its wings to Sabah after acquiring two offshore blocks from PETRONAS in 2009.

In December last year, it successfully took over operatorship and began production operation at the Kinabalu Oil Field, which saw the consequent setting up of its area office in Kota Kinabalu.