Dr Rundi: Sarawak, UPM look to set up vet services, animal science faculty

BINTULU (July 24): Sarawak government is planning to establish the Faculty of Veterinary Services and Animal Science in collaboration with Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), said Minister of Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom.

He said a meeting was held with the Ministry of Education, Innovation and Talent Development led by minister Dato Sri Roland Sagah Wee Inn and UPM Bintulu campus led by deputy vice chancellor (Academic and International) Prof Dr Ismi Arif Ismail yesterday.

“The discussion focused on the urgent need to enhance veterinary services in Sarawak, which is crucial for the development of livestock and agriculture in the region.

“We are currently facing a manpower shortage in Sarawak, and we are delighted that UPM has agreed to facilitate and collaborate with the Sarawak government,” Dr Rundi said during a press conference after the meeting.

He also mentioned that the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, who is UPM chancellor, had expressed interest in establishing a veterinary services faculty in Sarawak during the UPM 46th convocation ceremony in 2022.

Dr Rundi said UPM Serdang, accredited for its veterinary programmes, is one of only two universities in Malaysia offering such courses, alongside Universiti Malaysia Kelantan.

“The collaboration aims to expedite the capacity and capability of veterinary services in Sarawak, with the Ministry of Education, Innovation and Talent Development taking the lead,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sagah highlighted that the initiative was requested by Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg due to the insufficient number of veterinarians and limited student intake for veterinary courses in Sarawak.

“We are fortunate that UPM is willing to collaborate with us, not just because they have a branch campus in Bintulu, but because they are one of the two universities in Malaysia offering veterinary animal science,” he said.

He added that this would be the third veterinary faculty in Malaysia and the only one in Borneo.

“We hope to attract students from other countries in this region,” he said, pointing out that the establishment of this faculty is crucial for addressing zoonotic diseases and enhancing food security in Sarawak.

The Sarawak government is also in the process of setting up its own Infectious Disease Centre, which will be closely related to the research conducted by the new faculty.

“We aim to produce enough veterinarians within the next five years to meet the needs of the region,” Sagah added.

He said the collaboration is expected to be a turning point in the development of veterinary services in Sarawak, addressing both the needs of livestock farmers and pet owners.

Besides that, the state government, federal government and UPM are working out the terms of the collaboration, with hopes to start the project as soon as possible.

Currently, Sarawak has only 15 government veterinarians and a total of 98, including private practitioners.

“The new faculty aims to significantly increase this number, ensuring better animal health and food security for the region,” added Sagah.

Ismi Arif, on the other hand, expressed optimism on the collaboration, stating that the academic programme is already established and it is just a matter of setting up the new location in Semenggok near Kuching.

“On UPM’s side, we are very optimistic about making this a reality,” he said.

This initiative marks a significant step forward in Sarawak’s development, promising to meet the growing needs of its population and enhance the region’s veterinary services.

The establishment of the faculty is set to offer academic programmes in Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) and Diploma in Animal Health and Husbandry (DKHP).

The projected annual intake for these programmes is 50 students for the DVM and 70 students for the DKHP.