SARAWAK GOVT READY TO FUND RESEARCH ON RUBBER AS ROAD CONSTRUCTION SUBSTANCE
KUCHING, Nov 2 (Bernama) -- The Sarawak government is ready to fund the Sarawak Research and Development Council (SRDC) for research on the effectiveness of rubber as a substance for road construction in peat soil areas.
Sarawak Premier, Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the council should take this proposal into account and collaborate with agencies such as the Public Works Department (JKR) to identify the best solution to the problem of road structure on peat soil, especially in Sibu and Mukah in the central part of the state.
“If you (SRDC) can make this a successful solution to the problem, it will definitely change the whole landscape of road construction on peat soil, especially in these areas (Sibu and Mukah),” he said when officiating at the SRDC Research and Development Symposium, here, today.
Abang Johari for the research and development purpose, the state government would dedicate a road for SRDC.
He said SRDC should strengthen the research landscape by facilitating research and development programmes within Sarawak and globally, through multidisciplinary research collaboration among agencies, institutions and industries.
“Sarawak needs to accelerate the creation and growth of a healthy, sustainable and competitive world-class research and development ecosystem,” he added.
In 2019 and 2020, SRDC received a grant of almost RM13 million for 11 organisations, involving universities, government research agencies, and small and medium enterprises.
Themed 'Research That Matters', the two-day symposium which started today attracted over 200 individuals from Sarawak-based universities and research agencies, as well as the private sector and would showcase researches that had been funded by the SRDC Research Grant scheme since 2019.
-- BERNAMA
