KOTA KINABALU: Partners of the Kuamut Rainforest Conservation Project (KRCP), a  public-private partnership between the Sabah Forestry Department, Yayasan Sabah,  and Permian Malaysia, a subsidiary of Permian Global met with Chief Minister Datuk  Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor at Menara Kinabalu here today.  

At the meeting, Permian Global Chairman Stephen Rumsey briefed the Chief Minister  on the Project, which has had its first Monitoring Report verified last month,  demonstrating that it meets internationally-recognised standards for its Climate,  Community and Biodiversity progress. 

This milestone enables the conservation initiative, which is to protect and restore 83,381  ha of tropical rainforests in the Tongod and Kinabatangan districts, to generate its first  tranche of Verified Carbon Units (VCU). 

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor said the KRCP is a testament to  how the public and private sector can work together in an impactful and transparent way  that engages and empowers local community participation from the outset. 

“Sabah is renowned for her biodiverse forests and it is important that we do whatever is  needed to preserve this. I want us to build on the KRCP achievement, to protect as much  of our forest as we can, and to lead the world in high-impact, scientifically robust  conservation efforts that not only benefits nature but also the state and the people,” he  added. 

Permian Global has provided investment for the project and also involved state  authorities and the scientific and community partners, the South East Asia Rainforest  Research Partnership (SEARRP) and community-focused organisation, the PACOS  Trust. 

Also present were Permian Malaysia Chief Executive Officer, Ivy Wong Abdillah,  Yayasan Sabah Director Datuk Ghulam Haidar Khan Bahadar, State Forestry Chief  Conservator, Datuk Frederick Kugan and General Manager of Yayasan Sabah’s wholly  owned subsidiary, Rakyat Berjaya Sdn Bhd, Dr Esther Li. 

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