KUALA LUMPUR, 29 February 2020 – Year 2020 sets the fourth edition of the Malaysian TimberCertification Council (MTCC) Academic Award on Sustainable Forest Management & Timber Certification (MTCC Academic Award) – a mark of recognition for academic excellence among students of forestry-based studies at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM).
This year, MTCC presented the awards to two graduating students from the Faculty of Forestry for their overall academic performance and final year projects related to environmental aspect and the country’s furniture industry. Muhammad Iqbal Ishak received the award for his thesis titled “Soil Erosion on Deforested Land in Cameron Highlands”, while Tan Xu Chee was given the recognition for his research on “Labour Composition, Productivity and Skill Developments in the Malaysian Furniture Sector.” Each recipient received RM1,000 in cash and a certificate from MTCC.
MTCC Chief Executive Officer Yong Teng Koon said the MTCC Academic Award is a joint effort between MTCC and UPM’s Faculty of Forestry since 2016.
“The objectives of the award are to motivate and inspire students at the university level to strive for excellence in their education as well as engage them to care for the forests and their sustainability. As we know, forestry education is very significant in helping to ensure the sustainability of our forests and shape a sustainable future.”
“The award is not only aimed at boosting academic excellence among university students from the forestry field. Most importantly, it is meant to engage and inspire these young generation to love and care for our forests and make them realise that they can make an impact from what they learn to build a sustainable future. We hope that with this award, we can instil an awareness in their eager minds that the future of our forests lies in their hands,” he added.