Cultural and innovation park set up in Kundasang
KUNDASANG: Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) has realized the dream of the local community to set up a cultural and innovation park.
The development of the Kundasang Cultural and Innovation Park (Tabik) was led by a researcher of the university, Dr Jurry Foo, through the Special Fund Scheme (SDK).
Jurry said the development phase and operation of Tabik implemented during the Covid19 pandemic in 2020 had won the first prize in the UMS Research and Invention Competition in 2019.
Last year, he said the pilot operation was carried out by the community with guidance from UMS.
He said the park was currently managed by Persatuan Kebudayaan dan Keseniaan Suara Buluh Perindu Kinabalu (SBPK).
Tabik was launched by UMS Vice Chancellor, Prof Datuk Dr Taufiq Yap Yun Hin on Saturday.
Yap believed that the establishment of Tabik would enable the community, including youth and SBPK members, to be involved in preserving cultures and environment.
He said UMS was committed to help elevate the living standard of the community through various programmes on knowledge transfer to the community, such as the setting up of the cultural park in Kundasang.
Meanwhile, Tabik manager Khamarul Azman Kowasin said the park would bring positive impacts to SBPK, including enabling activities to be implemented in a more organieed and systematic manner.
He added that the community centre was also designed as a tourism education centre that had begun to attract tourists.
“We also have a botanical park here. Information of the species in the park is currently being digitalised with the help of research students from geography programmes in UMS.”