LENGGONG, 10 March 2026 – Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), through Pusat IDEA UKM, continues to strengthen its role in driving high-impact knowledge transfer to local communities through strategic research collaborations with government agencies.
On 10 March 2026, Zulkefly Abdul Karim, Lead of the Social and Economic Transformation (TSE) Research Cluster, together with Fatimah Wati Halim, a member of the University Research Group (KPU) My-Psikososial Sejahtera, and focal officers from Pusat IDEA UKM, held two strategic collaboration meetings with the Department of Fisheries Malaysia (Perak) and the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (FAMA).
The meetings explored potential collaboration in implementing a project titled “Enhancing the Economic Scale of Small-Scale Pekasam Entrepreneurs in Lenggong Geopark through Knowledge Transfer in Food Management Technology and New Business Models”, under the MRUN Knowledge Transfer Programme (MRUN KTP).
The strategic discussions focused on strengthening the local pekasam industry through improvements in food safety compliance, increased production capacity, development of product standards, and expanded market access. These initiatives aim to support pekasam entrepreneurs in Lenggong Geopark in sustaining and scaling their businesses in a more structured and sustainable manner.
This initiative highlights the active role of UKM researchers in bridging academic expertise with community needs and relevant agencies through translational research and knowledge transfer. The collaboration is expected to enhance the competitiveness of the local pekasam industry while preserving Lenggong’s traditional fermented fish product as a valuable element of the region’s food heritage.
Overall, both agencies expressed positive feedback during the discussions and conveyed their openness to collaborate and fully support the implementation of the proposed project.
#IDEAUKM #TSE #KPU #MRUNKTP