10 May 2012 (Monday) – Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) has been declared today as a National Heritage by the Minister of Information, Communication and Culture, Dato’ Seri Utama Dr Rais Yatim, at the National Heritage Declaration Ceremony 2012 held in Kuala Lumpur this morning.

FRIM Director General Dato’ Dr Abd Latif Mohmod, who attended the ceremony, said the FRIM campus in Kepong has been the focus of over 100 years of tropical forestry research and development (R&D) activities, which had led to the successful reforestation and biodiversity enrichment of the once abandoned mining area of shrubs and vegetable gardens.

Abd Latif said the recognition as a National Heritage will provide more protection for FRIM, and help to ensure the continuation of all its excellent achievements and activities, thus enabling it to serve as a national and international landmark.

“At last, my dream has become a reality with this National Heritage declaration, especially after the gazettement of FRIM as a Natural Heritage in 2009. I am very grateful and proud because efforts since 2008 to achieve this had finally borne fruits,” he added.

FRIM is accorded the National Heritage status in recognition of its conservation efforts, its historical significance and legacy, being the largest and oldest man-made tropical forest in the world established since the 1920s as well as the one and only tropical forest research institute in Malaysia.

Recently, FRIM had also received recognition from the Malaysia Book of Records (MBR) for having, among others, the oldest and largest wood sample collection in its Xylarium, founded in 1918 and which houses a total of 10,036 wood specimens from 1,587 tree species.

The presentation ceremony of the National Heritage plaque by the Department of National Heritage to FRIM is expected to take place later this year.
Abd Latif at the FRIM exhibition booth after the declaration ceremony. From left: Rais and wife, Datin Seri Utama Masnah Rais, accompanied by Abd Latif, taking a closer look at some of the herbal plants displayed at the FRIM exhibition.