Malaysia Highlights Role In Antarctic Research At Hobart Meeting

KUALA LUMPUR, June 13 (Bernama) -- Malaysia took the opportunity to highlight its significant role in Antarctic research since 1999, at the 35th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM) in the Australian city of Hobart. The Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry of Malaysia said the meeting was the first attended by Malaysia since acceding to the Antarctic Treaty System in October 2011. The Malaysian delegation was led by the ministry's Deputy Secretary-General (Policy) Dr Sharifah Zarah Syed Ahmad, the ministry said in a statement Tuesday. It said that ATCM chair, Richard Rowe, from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, welcomed Malaysia and Pakistan as two of the latest member countries accepted into the system. In her speech, Dr Sharifah Zarah pointed out that Malaysian scientists were among the very few from tropical countries that had made significant strides in polar research. She noted that within the past 10 years, the Malaysian Antarctic Research Programme had organised 62 expeditions involving 24 research projects in the areas of biological and physical sciences, with the backing of the Malaysian government. Dr Sharifah Zarah also said that the government had approved the establishment of the Sultan Mizan Antarctic Research Foundation which would provide funding for scientific research in the Antarctic. Other members of the Malaysian delegation at the Hobart meeting were the ministry's International Division Principal Assistant Secretary, Wan Ashbi Leman; Deputy High Commissioner to Australia Eldeen Husaini Mohd Hashim and Prof Dr Azizan Abu Samah from the Academy of Sciences Malaysia. -- BERNAMA