SARAWAK needs at least 1,000 qualified veterinarians, including animal scientists and para veterinarians, by 2030.
Minister for Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development (M-FICORD), Datuk Seri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom said that to address the critical shortage of veterinarians in Sarawak, the establishment of the School of Veterinary Medicine in Semenggok was proposed.
“My ministry is collaborating with the Ministry of Education, Innovation and Talent Development Sarawak (MEITD) in making the establishment of the School of Veterinary Medicine a reality.
“A few engagements between my ministry and MEITD, together with Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), have been held to discuss and finalise the management model for the proposed School of Veterinary Medicine.
“The Senate of UPM has endorsed the proposed management model drafted by the task force,” Dr Rundi said in his ministerial winding-up speech on Tuesday.
With the establishment of the school, he opined that it will strengthen the veterinary services in Sarawak to eradicate zoonotic diseases as well as accelerate the development of the livestock industry worth RM3.0 billion in Sarawak.
“My ministry, through the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) Sarawak, had presented their restructuring proposal for an additional 566 posts to the Sarawak Organisational Development Committee (SODC) which was agreed in principle on Aug 21, 2024,” he said.
