Wednesday September 22, 2004 - GOLDEN Hope Plantations Bhd (GHope) andUniversiti Malaya (UM) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) tocollaborate in research and development (R&D) pertaining to conservationand development of biodiversity and natural resources on Carey Island,Selangor.

GHope group chief executive Datuk Sabri Ahmad said the five-year agreementwas to enhance research on biodiversity conservation and the enhancementof landscape on the island.

He said with RM500,000 allocated for the project, GHope would host,support, finance or participate in R&D and educational activities by UMresearchers and students.

We will also assist in biodiversity restoration, including reforestationprogrammes, and in creating awareness about the environment, he said afterthe MoU signing in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

This research is a starting point for more research to be conducted onCarey Island in the future, he added.

The selected projects under this programme are floristic survey,biodiversity study and conservation, management of fauna and ecologicaland psychological studies of the mud lobster.

It would also cover regeneration and mass propagation of Nyireh plantthrough biotechnological methods and the effects of palm oil mill effluenton germination and early growth of selected plants – Bernama