KUCHING: Two new species have been discovered in Sarawak's forests, says Deputy Premier Datuk Awang Tengah Ali Hasan.
He said a new land snail species, Hemiplecta gambut, was found in the Simunjan Forest Reserve, while a new ginger plant, Sulettaria kimiana, was discovered in the Sabal Forest Reserve.
Both species were identified during recent scientific expeditions by the state Forest Department, and the findings were presented at a seminar in April.
"The discovery of these species underlines the importance of continuous research in sustaining our natural resources," Awang Tengah said when winding up matters related to the Natural Resources and Urban Development Ministry at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly on Wednesday (May 20).
As of May, he said, the state government had gazetted three new permanent forest estates, namely the Data Julan Protected Forest covering 25,501 hectares, Suro-Tutoh Protected Forest (17,117ha) and Ulu Trusan Protected Forest (111,717ha).
This brings the total permanent forest estate area to 4.15 million hectares across the state.
"From 2021 to 2026, a total of 57.75 million trees have been planted throughout Sarawak to strengthen the ecosystem and raise public awareness of the importance of environmental conservation," he said.
