Azizul (second left) among recipients of innovation challenge from Ministry of Science, Azizul (centre) receiving the RM200,OOO

OO social innovation grant from Yayasan Inovasi

Azizul (right) sharing the concept of hydroponic farming to the visitors in his greenhouse. Technology and Innovation. ' Malaysia.

UMS graduate
shows Kundasang
planters the ropes
, ; P :l-~·3 .J-o\ J- 5
The 40ft x 60ft greenhouse of Kundasang Aquafarm.
By Mariah Doksil :/

MESILOU is 'a small village chemicals used in our vegetables.

with less than 50 households in However, his hydroponic
Kundasang. vegetables have been accepted
Every year, the highlands by the Bruneian because it is
area is subject to losses of soil organic.
nutrients due to the ongoing Looking at the potential of the
planting activities - when plants sustainable growing system,
are harvested and removed. Azizul's project caught the
For decades, vegetables have attention of the government.
been the major crop of the area, Earlier this month, he was
the main income of the local Organic red coral lettuce in Kundasang Aquafarm. given RM200,OOO grants to train
population. the community in Kundasang by
However, there is' a need to (TUBE) programme and received Yayasan Innovasi Malaysia.
look for other sources of income a grant from the government to "I am confident that this new
as vegetables are more and more market his product. growing system will benefit the
dependent on chemicals. TUBE programme is a whole community, and I will build Visitors buying fresh vegetables from Kundasang Aquafarm.
Thanks to the increasing , Government initiative to a bigger greenhouse for everyone
demand from tourists for encourage the youth to venture to learn. .
accommodation, villagers started into business. "With the grants from Yayasan
to build home stays - a side income Looking at the potential Innovasi Malaysia, we will
when their crops are not producing opportunities of getting grants have more supplies to meet the
well. " from the government, Azizul increasing demand," he said.
A 28-year-old graduate of braved himself to join another Last Thursday, Azizul won
Universiti Malaysia Sabah competition - Pitch Borneo 2016, another innovation challenge
(UMS), Azizul Julirin is one of and won business assistant by the Ministry of Science,
the home stay operators in the grants. Technology and Innovation
village. In the same year, another grant (MOSTI) and received RM50,OOO
Although the demand for was given to develop )lis project \grant.
accommodation keeps increasing, after winning second place in He is planning to use the grant to
but he is not giving up on the Inclusive Challange Borneo Zone, start building a bigger greenhouse
planting activities. organised by Yayasan Inovasi in his parents' land. Organic green coral lettuce in Kundasang Aquafarm.
"Selling vegetables have been Malaysia. "All the hardwork paid off. It has
our main source of income. My Azizul's mother holding the 'pak choi'. He used all the grants to been my goal to make "this project said she never thought her in Kundasang.
parents have been growing make a proper prototype for his successful and inspire the younger only son's project made such a "I nor mally h elped him when
vegetables since they were young. hydroponics (growing plants in hydroponic project. generations to develop their own impact - never in her wildest visitors or supplier came to the
Even my sisters and myself helped water and without soil) together After abouta year of trial and land, create job opportunities so dream to see Azizul winning greenhouse, but most of the time
them to sell vegetables at the tamu' in one integrated system. error, Azizul found the perfect that we don't have to seek for a so many awards from his little I am looking after our homestays.
to fund our studies. The fish waste provides organic formula to make his greenhouse minimum wage anymore. greenhouse. "I hope Azizul's project will
"I have been always interested food for the growing plants and the to be commercialised. "Everything needs to start from At first, she did not even know benefit more families to grow
to continue my parents' legacy in plants naturally" filter the water in He finally made a bold decision us. Push yourself to do what you how to pronounce "hydroponic". healthier vegetables, and it is good
planting vegetables, that is why which the fish live. to resign in 2017 and built a bigger hope to do so you will never have ""When Azizul set up his first to see the younger generations to
I did my Aqua"culture degree in Since his passion is more to greenhouse, 40ft x 60ft using all to regret at not having tried," said hydroponic, I thought it was just continue our legacy, supplying
UMS to find a sustainable solution growing vegetable, he decided the grants he won. the second child of two. a hobby, but apparently he was food for the people in Sabah," she
on the soil situation in our land. to resign from SLDB and joined His greenhouse, Kundasang Azizul's mother, Hisiah Sain about to change the fate of planters said.
"During my industrial training Borneo Marine Research Institute Aquafarm is the first hydroponic
at Kansai Bussan Product Co. PIt, " as a Research Assistant, to learn farm in Sabah.
Kagawa Ken in Japan, I found more about fish and water. "After three weeks of growing
an answer to that particular At the same time, his green and red coral lettuce, I made
problem," he said, in an exclusive personal project on hydroponics around RM2 ,000 to RM3,OOO a
interview with The Borneo Post. continued. month by selling it to a suppiier
After graduating from UMS in In 2015, Azizul won Sabah Biz who distributed it around Kota
2010, he worked as an executive in Challenge and also one of the Kinabalu.
one of government link companies, semi finalists of Super Malaysia "Today, I added more variety
Sabah Land Development Board in Cyberjaya. by growing strawberry, tomato,
(SLDB). He did not stop there. Japanese cucumber and Pak Choi.
During his free time, he builds To him, his hydroponic business My supplier not only sells them to
a prototype of a greenhouse, plan need to be challenged in a various hotels in Kota Kinabalu
growing salad using hydroponic higher level. but also to Brunei," he added.
system. On the following year, he was According to Azizul, it is not
Aquaponics is, a marriage of chosen as the best participant of easy to penetrate into Brunei
aquaculture (raising fish) and Tunas Usahawan Belia Bumiputera market due to their concerns about