KUCHING: The Sarawak government, through the Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC), aims to elevate its collaboration with the Orangutan Veterinary Advisory Group (OVAG) to support orangutan welfare and broader wildlife health.
Deputy Minister for Urban Planning, Land Administration and Environment Datuk Len Talif Salleh said SFC envisions a long-term collaboration—joint research, conservation strategy development, training hubs, and perhaps even field innovation centres to support this initiative.
He said workshops like OVAG are more than technical events but an investment in human capital.
“By building the capacity of veterinarians, rangers, and researchers through practical learning and peer exchange, OVAG is helping to build a regional ecosystem of expertise that can respond effectively to crises, conduct high-quality research, and lead change on the ground.
“I am especially pleased to note this year’s theme on respiratory management in Asian apes—an urgent and often overlooked area.
“Equally commendable is the inclusion of leadership, communication, and teamwork modules—critical competencies that are often undervalued but essential to long-term success,” he said in his officiating speech during the 17th OVAG Workshop held here today (July 20).
He stressed that today’s wildlife conservation challenges—ranging from habitat loss and emerging diseases to climate change—are complex, cross-border in nature, and closely intertwined with human development.
In Sarawak, he stressed that effective conservation cannot stand apart from policy.
“It must be part of broader governance—urban planning, sustainable land use, and environmental stewardship.
“As such, our government continues to champion evidence-based policymaking, integrating conservation priorities into legislation, development frameworks, and community planning.
“Our aim is to protect—not just preserve—our biodiversity through systems that are proactive, inclusive, and enforceable,” he said.
