7 November 2019 (Thursday) – The Minister of Water, Land and Natural Resources (KATS), Dr Xavier Jayakumar officiated the Taman Warisan Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) (FRIM Heritage Park) in Kepong on 5 November.

The 1.76-hectare park has been developed since January 2017. Various endemic plant species found only in Selangor as well as trees synonymous with the names of places in Selangor such as meranti kepong, sentul, kundang, sepang and petaling were planted there.

Xavier (left) and Abd Latif delivering their respective speeches.	From left: Zurinah, Abd Latif, Xavier, Tengku Zulpuri Shah and Mohd Mokhtar during the book launching ceremony.

With facilities such as gazebo, pavilion, amphitheater and parcourse, the park will serve as an alternative recreation area for FRIM’s main campus as well as to improve the quality of the environment and FRIM’s image.

The Minister also launched FRIM’s Seedling Registration Certificate produced through its plant living asset inventory system, which includes details like a birth certificate of a seedling for customer reference. The system enables the procurement of authentic plant materials, especially involving legally protected species for plantation purposes.

Abd Latif (third from left) presenting the registration certificate of the newly planted merbau seedling to Xavier, while (from left) Siti Salwana, Khali Aziz, Tengku Zulpuri Shah, Zurinah and Mohd Mokhtar look on.	All the attendees posing for a group photograph with Xavier (front row, middle).

The Minister also launched FRIM’s book on Taman Warisan documenting its efforts in developing the park. FRIM Director General (DG), Datuk Dr Abd Latif Mohmod presented the first Seedling Birth Certificate to the Minister after the planting a ‘merbau’ seedling.

Also present, KATS Deputy Minister Tengku Zulpuri Shah Raja Puji, KATS Secretary General Datuk Zurinah Pawanteh, KATS Secretary General of Land and Natural Resources Dr Mohd Mokhtar Tahar, FRIM Deputy DG (Operations) Dr Khali Aziz Hamzah, Planting Material Production Branch Head Dr Siti Salwana Hashim, representatives of Malaysian Timber Industry Board, Forestry Department Peninsular Malaysia; Community Friends and FRIM staff.