KUCHING: Sarawak Biodiversity Centre (SBC) aims to commercialise four monographs of local species as an effort to share benefits to the community and more.

Minister for Education, Innovation and Talent Development, Dato Sri Roland Sagah Wee Inn highlighted SBC’s systematic approach to commercialising its biodiversity-based products.

According to him, this approach involves a progression of registering end products that have traditional claims, to scientifically validated modern health claims and subsequently as pharmaceutical applications.

“As a start, SBC is targeting four monographs of local species. With the monographs, SBC will register these species as natural products with traditional claims by November 2025, with the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA).

“If successfully commercialised, these will result in benefit sharing with the communities,” he said in his ministerial winding-up speech at the 19th Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) Sitting on Monday.

Monographs are detailed scientific documents that describe the species characteristics, their traditional uses, preparation methods, phytochemical information, pharmacological as well as safety and toxicity of the species.

These are important references for registering a product.

Meanwhile, Dato Sri Roland Sagah also touched on the annual Traditional Knowledge Documentation Workshop, which prioritised plants and associated traditional knowledge for commercialisation.

The workshop gathered 46 members from 15 indigenous communities, from 40 locations throughout Sarawak convened at SBC on the 22 to 24 May this year.

He further emphasised recognising the value of traditional knowledge and Sarawak’s biological resources, for further commitment to sustainable economic growth and the preservation of biodiversity. -UKASnews

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