KUALA LUMPUR: The Sultan Mizan Antarctic Research Foundation's (YPASM) "Messages from Antarctica" exhibition at NU Sentral Mall is set to open tomorrow and Sunday.
YPASM chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, who is also the Terengganu menteri besar, said the exhibition detailed the foundation's initiatives and partnerships that had led successful Antarctic expeditions.
"Several initiatives and activities were implemented to achieve the objective such as the 'Smart Partnership Initiative for Polar Research' in 2021, in which was an agreement between YPASM and eight local universities including Universiti Malaya and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.
"In this agreement, YPASM had provided 30 research grants, 12 fellowship schemes, and 11 expedition assistance for Polar Malaysia researchers from local universities to Antarctica with a total value of RM7.2 million," Samsuri said in opening the event today.
On a related note, Environment and Water Minister Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, who was also present at the launch, said Malaysia would continue to address the issues of climate change and the conservation of Antarctic resources, apart from maintaining involvement in the scientific research and management of the continent.
"Studies conducted in the Polar Region are very important as it helps us to understand the current pattern of change on Earth. Among the studies conducted in the Polar Regions by Malaysian researchers funded by YPASM, is the study of lightning phenomena closely related to global warming.
"The warmer the tropics (like in Malaysia), the more frequent lightning with storms, heavy rains, tornadoes or whirlwinds will occur, plus heavy rains that last for more than a few hours can cause flash floods like we have experience recently.
"Malaysia's involvement in the Antarctic research is increasing, especially in the areas of climate change and biodiversity, and the ministry is consistently supporting the development of scientific research in the Antarctic through YPASM," he said.
Tuan Ibrahim also said three memorandums of understanding had been signed with Chile's Instituto Antarctico Chileno, National Centre of the Antarctic Science of Ukraine, and British Antarctic Survey.
"Besides that, National Antarctic Research Centre (NARC) and YPASM are representing Malaysia to be the active members in the Asian Forum on Polar Sciences (AFoPS) to promote polar research cooperation among Asian countries.
He also praised Polar Malaysia researcher Professor Dr Cheah Yoke Kqueen's discovery of a new actinobacteria genus from Barrientos Island, Antarctica – the Barrientosiimonas humi.
Tuan Ibrahim said Cheah, from Universiti Putra Malaysia, had been actively involved in Antarctic research since 2007 and was one of the recipients of a research grant by YPASM in 2014.
"The discovery of this new genus indicates the biodiversity in Antarctica is still unexplored by many, including Malaysian researchers," he said.