Bernama.com (Malaysian National News Agency), 25 January, 2007

Najib Opens Herbal Biotech Centre In Raub

RAUB, Jan 25 (Bernama) -- Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak Thursday opened the Herbal Biotechnology Centre in Hulu Sungai here, and said it would help generate wealth for the local people.

"The model to be adopted must have backward integration and forward integration for the benefits to be savoured by the local villagers and also involve entrepreneurs who will eventually sell the herbal products in the open market," he said.

The 20,000 sq ft herbal biotech centre has been built adjacent to the tropical rain forests of the Titiwangsa Range with the aim of bio-prospecting of the natural resources without destruction of the existing ecosystem.

The objective of the centre is to provide the infrastructure for processing of herbs for commercial purpose as well as to assist biotechnology entrepreneurs through scientific and advisory services.

The centre has equipment and machinery to process plants, extracting machinery with a capacity of 1,500 litres, automatic encapsulation machinery and straining machinery.

The Raub Biodiversity Centre where the herbal biotech centre is located spans 200 hectares and consists of accommodation for researchers and scientists.

Najib said the Herbal Biotech Centre in a remote area represented a timely transformation in the effort to generate wealth for the benefit of the local people.

Transformation does not only mean change in the developmental and technological aspect as it can be applied in the creation of herbal products to add value so that they can compare with the various other products in the international market, he said.

He said that with the transformation in the creation of herbal products Malaysia can progress to a dimension of generating wealth that need not necessarily depend totally on perpetual resources.

Dependence on perpetual resources does not guarantee perpetual development, he said, adding that transformation must contain the concept of wealth in perpetuity to bring about perpetual development.

"Transformation encompasses all aspects, including change in terms of thinking and the ability to think. Sources of new wealth can be generated with the unlimited propulsion of the mind," he said.

At the function, Najib also announced an allocation of RM2 million for the construction of two bridges, over Sungai Satak and Sungai Ruai, as well as the approval by the Rural and Regional Development Ministry for the construction of a new road between Batu Malim and Kampung Guai at a cost of RM6 million.

Najib also witnessed the exchange of documents on collaboration between the Herbal Biotech Centre and Technology Park Malaysia (TPM).

Also present at the function were Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Jamaludin Jarjis and Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob.

-- BERNAMA