by Professor Dato Dr. Ahmad Ibrahim,
Few would disagree that nature has been badly abused for decades now. Despite all the evidence which points to the devastating repercussions of a disturbed natural environment, greed has largely driven men to ignore such warnings. We have just witnessed how ignoring nature has been a major factor behind the recent floods which have inundated many states in the country. The floods have also exposed the unscrupulous practice of indiscriminate logging in sensitive water catchment areas. Despite the denial by some, pictures of floating logs threatening everything in their path cannot lie. The graphic images of tonnes of rubbish left behind should be enough to remind us of the dire consequences. The loss of lives and the economic pains add to the misery of those affected by the calamity. There are obvious lessons from the floods. But whether we truly learn or not is a matter of great concern.
Fortunately, there are those among us who continue to remind the world of the fragility of nature, and that maintaining its delicate balance is for our common good. One colleague of mine, Professor Datuk Dr. Ghazally, is one such personality who never tires of giving reminders on why we should continue to respect nature. Armed with a Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology from Indiana University, USA, he has devoted much of his academic life to documenting the natural habitats of life in the tropical rainforests of Borneo. He served for many years as Professor in the universities in Sabah and Sarawak. Apart from dabbling in karaoke as a hobby, he had through the years scoured through the jungles of Borneo producing images of the enormous biodiversity through photographs and drawings depicting the intricacies of life in the rainforest. I know him as a highly multitalented person from our school days in MCKK. He is definitely a different breed of scientist. He is not only an accomplished scientist but also a prolific writer on science especially those related to nature conservation. On top of that, he draws and practices nature photography like a professional. No wonder, in his latest book “Monkey Moments”, he produced it almost single-handedly.
Now living in New Zealand with his devoted wife, he is one Malaysian overseas who had turned the Covid lockdown into an opportunity. Not being able to travel home to see friends and families has been a big challenge for him. The occasional chats through WhatsApp have helped relieve some of the tension. But instead of moaning and groaning, he turned adversity into opportunity. He took the opportunity to write a book on his years of experience in the rainforests back in Malaysian Borneo. Apparently, all the books he has written so far were produced under some form of duress. In this new book, he delved into his encounters with the monkeys and apes over the years putting across his own thoughts and reflective anecdotes of his journeys in the rainforests of Borneo. The whole theme of conserving biodiversity and stopping deforestation is featured in the book. As he put it nicely, “Just can’t shake off my educational streak on saving our endangered species and their natural habitats. Maybe stopping logging and the destruction of our rainforest are topical and relevant right now in the face of widespread flooding. Time to raise awareness on this now”.
Some describe the book as enthralling writing on monkeys and apes of the rainforests. Fascinating facts about several primate species are reflected and appealingly narrated from experiential encounters in the wilderness of Borneo. He brilliantly takes readers through the evolution of man by selectively highlighting the physical features and behavioral biology of the species in the book. The unprecedented destruction of the rainforests has driven countless animal and plant species to extinction. But many still fail to grasp such facts. In the book, Professor Ghazally also alluded to many other species which are under threat. Many may not realize that the frogs in the rainforests come in different shapes, sizes, and colors. It is definitely a book that should not be missed. It may be a bit late to change the views of the old about the true value of biodiversity. But there is still time to remind the young. I would urge the education fraternity to use the book as a point of discourse about the wonder of nature. It is even more special coming from our own breed of scientists.
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