The 22nd Convocation Ceremony of Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) has given an extra notch of excitement to graduating student, Chai Lee Ting from Miri, Sarawak. Chai’s academic excellence and final year project thesis for the 2019/2020 academic session has won her the 2020 Freezailah Forest Sustainability Award from the Malaysian Timber Certification Council (MTCC).
Chai, who graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Forestry Science (Hons) (Nature Parks and Recreation), received RM2,000 cash and a certificate of achievement from MTCC for her research titled “Estimation of Aboveground Carbon in Rubber Plantation, Tamparuli, Sabah using Airborne LiDAR.” The award was presented by MTCC’s Chairman, Kamaruzaman Mohamad at the award presentation ceremony held in conjunction with the university’s convocation on 28 March 2022.
Present to witness the occasion were UMS Pro-Chancellor, Tan Sri Azman Hashim, Deputy Pro-Chancellor, Datuk ChM Ts Dr Taufiq Yap Yun Hin, Dean of Science and Natural Resources Faculty, Professor Dr Jualang@Azlan Abdullah Gansau and Dean of Tropical Forestry, Associate Professor Dr Normah Awang Besar@Raffie.
Chai said rubber plantation has immense potential in carbon budget and is part of the Clean Development Mechanism in Kyoto Protocol. However, despite rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) being one of Malaysia’s major plantation crops, research on its potential in carbon sequestration is limited, thus leading her to embark on the project in Tamparuli, Sabah.
“I was encouraged by my supervisor, Professor Gs Dr Phua Mui How to take up remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS)-related topics for my thesis. From my research, I discovered that the airborne Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) is an accurate method in quantifying and mapping the aboveground carbon (AGC) stock at rubber plantation area. In other words, it can be utilised to reveal the potential capability of rubber plantation in mitigating climate change. I hope this would pave the way for me to contribute my expertise and knowledge in remote sensing and GIS in the forestry sector in the future,” said Chai who is currently a post-graduate student at the university’s Faculty of Tropical Forestry.
Kamaruzaman said Chai was chosen out of four award nominees and the judging was based on the overall academic achievement as well as final year projects relating to relevant fields such as sustainable forest management, forest certification, natural resources management, environmental impact assessment and timber and non-timber forest products utilisation, among others.
“We regard Chai’s research to develop an AGC estimation model to estimate and map AGC stock as interesting and timely, taking into consideration the current global concern on greenhouse gas emission and its impact on climate change. In this regard, the role and capability of rubber plantations – being the second largest agricultural crop in extent – to absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide and store its carbon are important in mitigating climate change. The study has highlighted the potential of rubber plantation in carbon dioxide sequestration,” he said.
He said the Freezailah Forest Sustainability Award is a joint effort between MTCC and the Science and Natural Resources Faculty, UMS which aims at inspiring a new generation of forestry talents to excel in their studies. It is also aimed at inculcating greater passion and love for the forests and their sustainability among university students.
The academic award was created in 2016 to honour MTCC’s Founding Chairman, Dato’ Dr Freezailah Che Yeom who has contributed significantly to the growth of MTCC, and has been instrumental in the development of the Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme (MTCS which is implemented by MTCC) as an internationally recognised certification scheme as it is today.