BY JAMES WONG AND NURA V LORNA
KUCHING: Sarawak Forestry Corporation’s (SFC) new six-story office tower and forensic centre, named ‘Wisma Lestari’ by Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, is expected to be operational by January 2025.
SFC CEO Abang Arabi Abang Aimran said the building construction has reached 99 percent completion.
“Reflecting back to 2022, upon the advice of the Premier, the Sarawak government has agreed to allocate a budget to complete a six storey office tower cum forensic centre for SFC.
“As promised, we aimed for completion in 2024. However, it faced slight delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. As of today, I am pleased to report to the board that 99 percent of the construction is complete and expected to be used in Jan 2025,” he said during SFC’s Outstanding Service Award ceremony held here last night (Nov 15).
During the ceremony, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was exchanged between SFC and Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), marking the start of a five-year collaboration.
Abang Arabi said the partnership will enable joint research projects, knowledge exchange, and student placements, strengthening both conservation efforts and academic contributions to Sarawak’s biodiversity preservation.
“It also includes industrial training placements for students, co-supervision of research projects, and the organisation of academic events such as workshops and symposia.
“Through initiatives like these, SFC is expanding its conservation efforts while fostering a comprehensive approach to biodiversity research and protection.
“This ensures the sustainability of Sarawak’s ecosystems for future generations,” he explained.
The MoU was signed by Abang Arabi and Sarawak Biodiversity Council chairman Datuk Seri Dr Muhammad Abdullah Zaidel.
Also present were Abang Johari, Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, State Secretary Datuk Amar Abu Bakar Marzuki, Deputy Minister for Urban Planning, Land Administration, and Environment Datuk Len Talif Salleh, and State Attorney-General Datuk Saferi Ali.
