About Sustainable Living Institute (SAVE)

Sustainable Living Institute (SAVE) is a privately run entity with a theme towards nurturing nature. It was registered (Registration no. 41/2004) on 16 June 2004 at the District Office of Mukah, Sarawak, East Malaysia. Mukah is the heartland of the Melanaus, a western coastal district in Borneo facing the South China Sea.

Some of the activities of SAVE are:

1. Submitted a memorandum to the former Minister of Agriculture, Muhyidin Yassin, on the critical rice situation in the country and proposed to set up a rice research institute. We have not received any feedback and will pursue this matter with the new Minister.

2. Book publishing. Three books, bibliographic in nature (my forte) have been published and being sold mainy to libraries of universities. The titles of the books are:
i) 2005. Bibliograhic Enumeration of Four Centuries of Agriculture and Nature Conservation in Malaysia, 1570-1970. 2nd edn. Published in collaboration with MYAGRI, Nilai. Price RM180*
ii) 2006. Bibliographic Compilation of Medicinal, Herbal, Aromatic, Pesticidal & Poisonous Plants of Asia and Oceania: Biodiversity, Ethnobotany & Pharmacognosy. Published in collaboration with UPM. Price RM120*
iii) 2007. Bibliography on Research and Development of Sago, Peatland, Associated Soils and Crops. Price RM80*

* includes postage and handling in Malaysia; in US$ for oversea orders

Four books are in the works, almost completed and bibliographic on - i) rice, ii) ethnology, iii) highlands, and iv) compilation of newspaper articles

3. SAVE used to contribute half-page articles concerning agriculture, history to The Eastern Times, Sarawak

4. Book editing with UPM Press

5. SAVE is experimenting on jatropha (and other plants) planting on a 10ac used tin mining land with deep sand and infertile in Tg Tualang, Perak. Ten accessions of jatropha has been collected for evaluation.

6. Experimenting on medicinal plants for anti-cancer, diabetic etc.

7. Recycling to take care of the environment

8. Running holiday apartments at Cameron Highlands (Tanah Rata) and a vegetable farm on the way up to Gunong Brinchang.

Since its inception the Institute is run solely by myself. If I could introduce myself. I have worked in MARDI (20yrs), as a cocoa and later fruit breeder, IPGRI (International Plant Genetic Resources Institute) for 3 yrs at Serdang, CRAUN Research, Sarawak for 3 years, and UPM, Bintulu as Associate Professor and Head of Department for 2yrs. Retired since 2006, life has never been better and freer- has time to blog!

Tel: 013 3763858; Fax/phone: 05 3713845
Email: shaharudin_saamin@hotmail.com