5 July 2021 (Monday) – Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) has recorded several outstanding achievements at seminars/conferences conducted virtually as an adaptation to new normal.

The Forest Products Division research team led by Nur Areisman Mohd Salleh won a Silver medal at the Malaysia Technology Expo (MTE) 2021 for the innovation of ‘Biodegradable Face Mask from Lignocellulosic Materials and Nanofibers’.

FRIM’s award winning poster in NFTS 2020 (left) and the screen shot of the seminar.	Nur Areisman’s presentation slide at MTE.

FRIM won the medal under the Covid-19 International Innovation Awards II category. MTE 2021 took place virtually on 14-18 June.

This FRIM innovation produces environmental-friendly face masks from lignocellulose and biodegradable materials with global standards to solve the problem of producing face masks using plastic waste that causes environmental issues.

The research team consists of Nur Areisman, Dr Latifah Jasmani, Dr Rushdan Ibrahim, Dr Rafidah Jalil, Baharudin Kamaruddin, Mohd Shukri Said, Muzalina Muhamad, Hamsinah Hashim and Siti Hawa Bakar.

FRIM also won the Best Working Paper and Poster Award at the 10th Kuala Lumpur International Agriculture, Forestry and Plantation Conference (KLiAFP10) on 22 June.

The paper entitled, ‘The dynamics between forest and food security: Case study of Gunung Tebu Forest Reserve’ presented by FRIM Social Forestry Programme Research Officer Dr Huda Farhana Mohamad Muslim was named the best working paper while the Best Poster Award was given to the ‘High-resolution image and field observation for assessment of soil water content in tropical lowland dipterocarp forest’ project poster presented by Dr Marryanna Lion, FRIM Ecohydrology Programme researcher for the Forestry category.

Certificates of KLiAFP10 Best Working Paper (left) and Poster won by FRIM’s researchers.	Presentation session of KLiAFP10 conducted virtually.

Researchers led by Saidatul Husni Saidin won the consolation prize of the Best Poster Award at the National Food Technology Seminar (NFTS 2020) held on 9-10 March 2021.

The poster was ‘Preliminary Study on Mangrove Plants Used as Food in Sungai Acheh, Nibong Tebal, Penang’ produced by Saidatul Husni S, Noor Rasyila MN, Mailina J, Nor Azah MA, Mary Khoo GH, Rohana S, Abd. Majid J, Shalini M, Mohd Hafidz Hadi A, Mohd Syafik Yuzman T, Tariq Mubarak H, Mukrimah A, Siti Hajar AA and Noor Suhaiza Z.