Bandar Seri Begawan - Gaharu has been increasingly recognised as one of the potential resources to be exploited for industrial diversification activities in Brunei.

To date, native Gaharu woods has long made their way to other countries to make products including luxury fragrances, but unfortunately Gaharu has never been exploited in Brunei. Gaharu tree is also one of the protected fauna and flora in Brunei.

Now, Bruneians are beginning to understand its commercial value and it has started to be one of the popular cottage industries in the country.

Gaharu Berjaya Resources yesterday donated six Gaharu tree saplings to Universiti Brunei Darussalam.

Gaharu Berjaya Resources said the aim of the donation is to introduce the importance of Gaharu in terms of its preservation to faculty staff and undergraduate students at the university. It is listed as one of the protected wild fauna and flora in the country and also under CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species), to which Brunei is a member.

"Other than generating commercial income from planting the trees, we are also indirectly preserving the Gaharu from extinction, as some of our Gaharu trees that grow in the wild in Brunei are stolen by irresponsible people," a representative from Gaharu Berjaya Resources said.

"With the donation, we hope the people would understand the importance of preserving it and be attracted to grow Gaharu to save the tree from extinction." -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin