The MoU signing by (from right to left, seated) Datuk Dr Tan Chik Heok, Prof Dato’ Dr Mohammad Najib and Prof Zhang Guoyi and witnessed by Dato’ Sri Liow Tiong Lai (fourth from left, standing) and other officials.

(Left to right, holding the shovel): Prof Zhang Guoyi, Prof Dato’ Dr Mohammad Najib and Dato’ Sri Liow Tiong Lai planting a tree into the soil during the ground-breaking ceremony of the Bentong Ginger Process Factory.

Dato’ Sri Liow Tiong Lai giving an opening speech about the production of Bentong ginger by leveraging on Agriculture 4.0.

Datuk Dr Tan Chik Heok emphasising on the much-anticipated collaboration between TAR UC and Dongguan Institute of Opto-Electronics, Peking University.

Prof Zhang Guoyi giving a speech on the exchange of technology through this collaboration.

Prof Dato’ Dr Mohammad Najib sharing what has been done for Bentong ginger production.

A tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (‘MoU’) was signed by TAR UC, Dongguan Institute of Opto-Electronics, Peking University and Persatuan Budaya Seni dan Warisan Bentong on 28 October 2017 which paves the way for research on “Agriculture 4.0 – Bentong Ginger R&D”.  Dato’ Sri Liow Tiong Lai, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, TARC Education Foundation and Board of Governors, TAR UC, and Minister of Transport, Datuk Dr Tan Chik Heok, President of TAR UC, Prof Dato’ Dr Mohammad Najib bin Ahmad Dawa, President of ARCH Bentong and Prof Zhang Guoyi, Executive Vice Director, Dongguan Institute of Opto-Electronics, Peking University, were present for the MoU signing ceremony.

The MoU will initiate the collaboration between TAR UC and Peking University that will specifically focus on developing sustainable cultivation methods for Bentong ginger and to improve production using Agriculture 4.0. “By signing this MoU, we will be able to work together for the agriculture industry as there is a need to produce food. More research on increasing ginger production  needs to be done so that Bentong can produce not only the best ginger in the world but increase its yield,” said  Dato’ Sri Liow Tiong Lai.

Meanwhile Datuk Dr Tan Chik Heok expressed his delight that TAR UC had the opportunity to collaborate with the renowned Peking University. He said: “This MoU paves the way for TAR UC, as an institution of higher learning in Malaysia, to collaborate in industrial project as well as research with Peking University, the most prestigious and top-ranked university in China and one of the top 30 in the world in Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings 2018. This is certainly a great collaboration and privilege for TAR UC.”

Prof Zhang Guoyi reiterated by saying: “We wish to set up a good collaboration with TAR UC on agriculture 4.0, especially in the growth of Bentong ginger, where we will provide related equipment and so on, in our collaboration with TAR UC.”

Prof Dato’ Dr Mohammad Najib highlighted the need to bring technology to agriculture. “TAR UC can further research to fit in technology from overseas to local agriculture. Bentong ginger has many uses, thus with the increased production, we can come up with a lot more ideas in using it,” he said.

After the signing of MoU, the dignitaries moved on to the ground breaking ceremony of the Bentong Ginger Process Factory, where they planted a tree as a symbolic gesture.