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A day in history on 7th of May 2013(from left): Dr. Camilla Toulmin (Director of IIED, London), Prof. Dr. Mazlin Mokhtar (Director of LESTARI) and Dr. Saleemul Huq (Senior Fellow, IIED)

Dr Camilla Toulmin and Dr Saleem Huq of the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) in London had warmly welcomed research fellows of the Institute for Environment and Development (LESTARI), from UKM Malaysia, namely Prof. Dr. Mazlin Mokhtar and Dr. Goh Choo Ta on 7th of May, 2013 at their new office building at Gray’s Inn, London in an effective session of meeting and deep discussion on research and capacity building issues of sustainability and sustainable development of developing countries and regions; especially models for enhancing initiatives for Sustainable Development; forestry; reducing emissions; adaptation; gender; poverty eradication; environment and development; policies; green technology; and poor communities and the environment; including aspects and areas of potential research collaboration between the two institutes.

One for the record on 7th of May 2013 after the special meeting, presentation and discussion sessions at 45 Belgrave Square (from left): Mr. Teagu Vannu (MIDA; and Alumni of FSSK, UKM), Associate Prof. Dr. Mohad Anizu Hj Mohd Nor (Director, Education Malaysia for UK and Eire), His Excellency Deputy High Commissioner Mr. Wan Zaidi Wan Abdullah, Prof. Dr. Mazlin Bin Mokhtar (Director, LESTARI, UKM), His Excellency Yang Berbahagia Dato’ Sri Zakaria Sulong (Malaysia’s High Commissioner in the UK), Dr. Goh Choo Ta (Senior Fellow of LESTARI, UKM), Mr Hamizan (Political Attache’, Malaysian High Commission; and Alumni of Master Degree Programme of UKM with IFDR), Mr. Zul (Marine Attache’) and Ms. Suraya (Multilateral Attache’, High Commission of Malaysia, UK).

Special sessions of meeting, presentation, and discussion between His Excellency the High Commissioner of Malaysian Mission in UK, and officers of the High Commission of Malaysia and LESTARI was held at the office of Malaysia’s High Commission located in London, United Kingdom on 7th May 2013. The discussion started with a special meeting and sharing and exchanging of views, knowledge, experiences and ideas on issues of multilateralism and environment and development between His Excellency Yang Berbahagia Dato’ Sri Zakaria Sulong, the High Commissioner and his Deputy Mr Wan Zaidi with Prof Mazlin Mokhtar and Dr Goh Choo Ta of LESTARI, UKM. This was then followed by a special presentation about LESTARI’s role as MOHE’s Potential HiCOE on Sustainable Development and UKM’s initiatives in Sustainable Regional Development in Malaysia, and the Asia Pacific including aspects of Chemicals and Hazardous Wastes Management; IWRM; Sustainability Science and Governance for Environment and Development, by Prof. Dr. Mazlin Mokhtar, the Director of LESTARI to a high level audience comprising Diplomatic and Special Administrative Officers, and Trade Representatives of the Malaysian Missions in the UK.

Prof. Dr. Mazlin Mokhtar, the Director of LESTARI, UKM (left) cum Chairman of Research Niche on Sustainable Regional Development, UKM exchanged books with Mdm. Ritu Kumar (right), representative of The Energy Research Institute (TERI) at TERI’s office, in London, United Kingdom. Dr Goh Choo Ta, senior research fellow of LESTARI’s Chemicals Management Research Initiatives, based at the Sustainability Science and Governance (SGK) Research Centre cum Environmental Health Programme Coordinator of the PPL-LESTARI was also present in the special meeting session on 6th of May, 2013 in London to explore potential research collaboration in several strategic areas of interest to both parties, and others, in the movement to promote and enhance the approach of sustainable development for poverty eradication, and for betterment of quality of lives.

Distinguished delegates from Malaysia at EXCOPS BRS 2013 (from the left): Dr Majahar Abdul Rahman (DOSH), Mr Nahar Sidek (EPU), Mr Che Kodir Baharum (NRE), Mdm. Fatimah Md. Anwar (DOA), Yang Berbahagia Datin Paduka Che Asmah Ibrahim (DOE; Head of Delegation), Mdm. Zuraini Ahmad Tajudin (DOE), Prof. Dr. Mazlin Mokhtar (LESTARI, UKM) and Dr. Goh Choo Ta (LESTARI, UKM)

The 11th meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP11) to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal, and the 6th meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP6) to the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Procedures for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade, and the 6th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention (COP6) on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), and the second simultaneous extraordinary meetings of the Conferences of the Parties to the three conventions (EXCOP BRS) was held at Geneva from 28 April to 10 May 2013. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (NRE), as Malaysia’s focal point of the three conventions, leads the Malaysian Delegates comprising regulators, practitioners and professionals from the Economic Planning Unit (EPU)-Prime Minister’s Department; Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI); Department of Environment (DOE)-NRE; Pesticides Board (PB)-Department of Agriculture (DOA), Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH)-Ministry of Human Resources (MoHR) and Institute for Environment and Development (LESATRI)-Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) in various sessions of meetings of the plenary; contact groups; regions; side events; and deliberations pertaining to issues related to chemicals and hazardous wastes management for human and environmental health.

by Dr. Goh Choo Ta

In the photo (from the right): Prof. Dr. Mazlin Mokhtar, Mr Muhamad Razman A. Samah, Mr Sri Ram Letchimanan and Dr. Goh Choo Ta

On 25th February 2013, Ministry of International trade Trade (MITI) was represented by Mr Muhamad Razman A. Samah, Director, Sectorial Policy Division III and Mr Sri Ram Letchimanan, Head of Senior Assistant Director, Sectorial Policy Division III to have a meeting with researchers from Chemicals Management Research Group (CMRG), LESTARI. The main topic discussed in the meeting was the GHS initiatives in Malaysia and ASEAN.

By Dr. Goh Choo Ta

A discussion between UKM researchers and representatives from Malaysia CropLife and Public Health Association (MCPA) was held on 19 January 2013 at LESTARI Meeting Room. The main purpose of that discussion was to exchange views and information regarding Good Agriculture Practice (GAP) related to pesticides management. The meeting was attended by MCPA representatives, namely Mr D’Arcy Quinn (third from the left), Director of Anti-Counterfeiting, CropLife International; Mr Chooi Lam Khong (second from the left), Executive Director, MCPA; Ms Marie Goh Chooi Fong (first from the left), Manager, Communication, MCPA, as well as UKM researchers including Prof. Dr. Mazlin Mokhtar (first from the right), Prof Dato Dr. Ismail Sahid, Prof. Dr. Md. Pauzi Abdullah.

On 28th February 2012, the 1st Comprehensive Seminar of “Research and Education Center for the Risk Based Asian Oriented Integrated Watershed Management” was held in Kyoto University of Japan. This seminar was a part of the JSPS Asian Core Programme which is a collaboration project between Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) and Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia. The seminar was joined by researchers of both countries and several of the Malaysian delegates are from LESTARI, UKM led by Prof. Dr. Mazlin Bin Mokhtar (Director of LESTARI).

Congratulations to Prof. Dr. Mazlin Bin Mokhtar on the appointment as the leader of Group 3 (Environment Risk Assessment and Management) under the JSPS Asian Core Programme that promotes information and expertise sharing between Japan and Malaysia.

by Mohamad Mahathir Bin Amir Sultan

Research collaborative was initiated by LESTARI when representatives from LESTARI visited the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) New Zealand on 8-11 November 2011 at Wellington, New Zealand. The purpose of this visit was to learn how EPA New Zealand manage and regulate chemicals via the implementation of Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (HSNO) Act. Meanwhile, representatives from LESTARI have shared their experiences by presenting their research findings, this include presentations entitle ‘Overview of chemicals management in Malaysia’ by Prof. Dr. Mazlin Mokhtar, ‘Update of GHS implementation in Malaysia’ by Dr. Goh Choo Ta, ‘Mercury management in Malaysia’ by Mr Mahathir Amir and ‘Risk-based assessment for ecosystem protection’ by Mr Nazren Leman.

The 12th Asia Pacific Responsible Care Conference (APRCC) with the theme ‘Road Towards Strategic Approach to International Chemical Management / World Summit Sustainable Development (SAICM/WSSD) Goal 2020 through Implementation of Global Product Strategy (GPS) was held on 24-28 October 2011 at Bali, Indonesia. At the same time, the APRCC also celebrating the International Year of Chemistry (IYC) where year 2011 has been declared as IYC by the General Assembly of the United Nations in January 2011. Prof. Dr. Mazlin Mokhtar was invited as a speaker to deliver a paper entitles ‘Striving for a Sound Chemical Management System for Economic, Ecological and Human Sustainability’ in the APRCC.

By Dr. Goh Choo Ta

On the 30 September 2011,MyNICHE (Malaysian Network for Integrated Management of Chemicals and Hazardous Substances for Environment and Development) and CMRG (Chemicals Management Research Group) have jointly organized the ‘GHS Workshop: Multi-stakeholders Participations in Establishing a Sound Chemicals Management System’ at Pullman Putrajaya. Two invited speakers, Dr. Herman Koeter and Dr. Steve Vaughen on behalf of Orange House Partnership and Inside Out Works have shared their respective experiences on essential components for a sound chemicals management system. Participants include representatives from government, industry, NGOs, research institutes and academia.

The GHS (Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals) Advanced Training Course was successfully conducted at National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) on 26-29 September 2011. This training course is jointly organized by NIOSH, Chemical Industries Council of Malaysia (CICM), Institute for Environment and Development (LESTARI) and United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). The objectives of the training course are to recognize the importance of GHS and chemical hazard communication as a key tool for protecting the health of people and the environment; and to strengthen capacities for chemicals classification and labelling based on GHS criteria. Two GHS experts, i.e. Dr. Herman Koeter and Dr. Steve Vaughen were appointed by UNITAR as the trainers for the training course. This training course is part of the activities under the 2010-2012 project ‘Training and Capacity Building for the Implementation of GHS in Malaysia’ that carried out by UNITAR, International Labour Organization (ILO) and the financial support of the European Union (EU). The Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) is the focal point for this UNITAR-GHS Project in Malaysia.

By Dr. GohChoo Ta

The 7th Round Table Dialogue of the Malaysian Network for Integrated Management of Chemicals and Hazardous Substances for Environment and Development (MyNICHE-7) was held at Pullman Hotel & Resort, Putrajaya on 13th July 2011. The MyNICHE-7 was jointly organised by Institute for Environment and Development (LESTARI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and Environmental Management & Climate Change Division, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (NRE). ‘Transforming the Systems to Manage Chemicals’ was selected as the theme for MyNICHE-7 and participants include representatives from government agencies, chemical associations, NGOs and academia. Issues discussed are mainly on the needs of having a safety evaluation system on chemicals in Malaysia.

by Nurliza Ahmad

A seminar for students carrying out research related to chemicals management was held in Lestari with Adjunct Professor, Prof Dr. Peter J.Peterson. Attend to the seminar are Prof. Dr Mazlin Mokhtar and Dr. Goh Choo Ta together with three master and PhD students. The 3 hours seminar had been really fruitful with comments and discussions that provide valuable inputs for the students as Prof. Dr. Peterson is a prominent professor in the area of chemicals management.

by Nurliza Ahmad

The 6th Round Table Dialogue of the Malaysian Network for Integrated Management of Chemicals and Hazardous Substances for Environment and Development (MyNICHE-6) was held at Oriental Crystal Kajang on 26 July 2010. The MyNICHE-6 was jointly organised by Institute for Environment and Development (LESTARI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and Environmental Management & Climate Change Division, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (NRE). ‘Harmonizing Chemical Governance with Sustainable Livelihood’ was selected as the theme for MyNICHE-6 and participants for MyNICHE-6 includes representatives from government agencies, chemical associations, NGOs and academia. Issues such as Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS), Environmentally Hazardous Substances (EHS), Basel Convention and chemical safety in consumer products were discussed in MyNICHE-6.

Congratulation

Congratulation to Associate Prof. Dr. Mohd Talib Latif for his appointment as Head, Environmental Science Programme, School of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, FST, UKM













Research fellow from LESTARI, Goh Choo Ta, was selected by The Association for Overseas Technical Scholarship (AOTS), Japan as one of the Malaysia participants for the GHS Instructors Practical Course that was held from 11-26 January in Tokyo, Japan.

Review Meeting for the WHO Human Health Risk Assessment Toolkit