Kuala Lumpur, October 6 - Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP) would be  collaborating with Japanese company, Eco 24 Co. Ltd, which developed environment-friendly coating products for various industrial uses.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed here recently with UMP Vice Chancellor Professor Dato’ Dr. Daing Nasir Ibrahim representing the university while the company, by its President Shunichi Hama.

Also present was JETRO Kuala Lumpur Managing Director Akira Kajita.

According to Professor Dato’ Dr. Daing Nasir, UMP would be working together and sharing expertise with the company, that had received many recognitions in Japan, in developing coating products that were suitable to the climate in Malaysia.

The coating would function as a protective layering for the surface of an object and would prevent erosion and deterioration, he added.

It could also be used in automotive industry and building structures, he said, adding, about 80 percent of Eco 24's sales were in tackling asbestos-related problems in buildings.

"It will involve the process of transferring of technology when we get down to developing these environment-friendly coating products and we will get to share the latest technology in tackling problems pertaining to asbestos.

"We can also help to identify school buildings, government premises, houses or other buildings that have asbestos-related problems by having social community projects together with Eco 24," he said during the MoU signing held in Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre here.

He added that the products would be able to deal with long-term health risks often associated with asbestos.

He also said UMP would be involved in providing consultancy in obtaining halal status for the coating products.

He noted that the strategic collaboration gave the opportunity for the university to offer technical services such as technical analysis and report on the product usage as the products could be used to protect tiles and domes of mosques from damage due to sun exposure and Malaysia's hot and humid tropical weather.

Eco 24 Co. Ltd also donated a research grant of one million yen or RM39,000 for the development of high-value applications for coating products such as solar panel and those in the oil and petroleum industrial activities.

Another sum of 33 million yen or RM1.3 million in kinds was given for UMP to carry out corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects, targeting those relating to asbestos problems in Pahang.

Such project would help to create awareness of the risks involved in using asbestos in buildings.

Dato’ Dr. Daing Nasir also said the collaboration would help to fulfill the objective set out in UMP's Strategic Plan 2016-2020 which was to acculturate technology by sharing acquired expertise that could be benefitted by the community especially in Pahang.

Also present at the event were Pahang's State Secretary Chief Assistant Zamri Hassan, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research and Innovation) Professor Dr. Mashitah Mohd Yusoff, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic and International), Professor Dato Dr. Rosli Mohd. Yunus and Registrar Abd. Hamid Majid.