SINTOK FOREST HOSTS RARE TREES AND PLANTS

UUM ONLINE: 12 February 2015 - Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) Prof Dato’ Wira Dr Mohamed Mustafa Ishak spent a day in forest and wooded area of Sintok to observe high-value rare tree species, yesterday.

The Sintok forest hosted species of a high-value gaharu (agarwood) trees or also known as the Karas trees. However, the gaharu reserved areas were slowly shrunk.

Therefore, the Vice-Chancellor urged the management of the university to effectively work on the preservation of the high-value gaharu trees in Sintok forest. Besides, he also suggested that a comprehensive inventory to find out the exact number of the gaharu trees exist in the Sintok forest to be carried out.

In addition, the Vice-Chancellor proposed to replant the gaharu trees and also set the commercialisation efforts of gaharu trees with private sectors in future. The gaharu trees can be processed to become joss sticks and perfume and it would generate revenue to the university.

In addition, the Vice-Chancellor also stressed that the continuous efforts to conserve the forest will not only benefit the students but also the whole campus community.

“I am indeed hoping that everyone will carry this responsibility to protect the Sintok forest in order for us to appreciate the environment and make the university as a green university,” he said.

Besides, the Vice-Chancellor also observed a hundred of years old Sintok tree nearby the UUM golf course. The Sintok town where UUM is located was named after the Sintok tree and it became one of the tourist attractions in UUM.

Also joint the Vice-Chancellor’s visit were the Senior Engineer, Mr Roslan Shaari representing the Director of Development and Maintenance of Landscape Architects, Mdm Norani Abu Seman and the university officials.