Bandar Seri Begawan, 3rd October 2024: The Sarawak Biodiversity Council (SBC) and Syarikat Asnika formalised a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 3rd October 2024, coinciding with the official launch of Sarawak Trade and Tourism Sdn Bhd’s office in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam (STATOB).
This MoU will enable discussions for Syarikat Asnika to be a distributor SBC's flagship products - LitSara®, NatureSara® and AdenoSara® in Brunei Darussalam.
The MoU exchange between YBhg Datu Dr Muhammad Abdullah bin Haji Zaidel, Deputy State Secretary for Economic and Planning Development, and Encik Asmad Haji Umar, Managing Director for Syarikat Asnika was witnessed by the Right Honourable Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri (Dr) Abang Haji Abdul Rahman Zohari bin Tun Datuk Abang Haji Openg, Premier of Sarawak.
According to Datu Dr Muhammad Abdullah who is also Chairman of the Sarawak Biodiversity Council, the MOU represents a milestone in SBC’s journey towards commercialisation of biodiversity.
He added that the flagship products are developed from Sarawak’s rich biodiversity, integrating traditional knowledge of Sarawak’s indigenous communities with scientific research, and are aligned with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles. This approach promotes sustainable biodiversity utilisation, economic opportunities for the communities, and responsible practices that meets the agenda of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
Syarikat Asnika is a company based in Brunei Darussalam operates several galleries, including Asnika Gallery at the Brunei International Airport Departure Hall and at the Empire Hotel & Country Club, specialising in designing high-quality woven fabric handicraft products from Brunei which include traditional woven fabrics, consisting of Kain Samping, Kain Jongsarat, and Kain Berragi Bertabur, Kain Sipugut, Kain Selubangbangsi, Liputan madu, among others.
Established in 1989, the company serves a clientele from several countries, including Japan, Malaysia, Europe, Thailand, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and the local Brunei Darussalam community.
The Sarawak Biodiversity Centre (SBC) is a leading research agency under the Ministry of Education, Innovation and Talent Development of Sarawak, dedicated to harnessing the region's rich biodiversity for scientific innovation and sustainable development, contributing to Sarawak’s vision of a green economy and nature positive solutions.
SBC’s R&D and activities include sustainable bioprospecting for the development of high-value products and implementing access and equitable benefit sharing with the indigenous communities arising from their traditional knowledge and use of biological resources.
