With the aim to facilitate knowledge sharing and create an exposure on the many health benefits of the local herbs among the local community as well as the students and staff of the university, UTAR Centre for Bio-Diversity Research (CBR), parked under the Faculty of Science, successfully organised the “Local Herbs Day III: Herbs for Better Health” on 19 October 2019 at its Kampar Campus.

Held for the third time, the one-day seminar themed, ‘Herbs for Better Health’ saw the participation of more than 100 participants from within and outside the campus.

Welcoming the participants in her speech, Organising Chairperson Dr Teh Lai Kuan said, “As the continuation of Local Herbs Day II which was held last year, CBR is organising Local Herbs Day III this year to enlighten the public, staff and students of UTAR about the uses of herbs in healthcare through talks and demonstrations.” She explained, “Herbs are mainly referred to as herbaceous plants that are valued for their savoury, aromatic and medicinal qualities. We choose to use herbs for better health as well as in culinary, skincare and hair care due to their effectiveness, safety and cost-effective that can complement synthetised pharmaceutical drugs. With the proper use of local herbs, it will definitely change our lives in the best and most enjoyable way possible.”

The seminar kick-started with a talk series and it was divided into two sessions. The first two talks were conducted by Registered Member of Malaysian Chinese Medical Association (MCMA)-cum-UTAR Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences lecturer Chong Kuen Yen and Freelance Agriculturist Haji Tajuddin bin Abdul Manap on “Herbs in Skincare and Hair Care” and “Urban Herbal Garden as Initiative for Ex-situ Conversation of Plants Collections” respectively.

In her talk, the first speaker Chong focused on the native uses of local herbs that are commonly used to treat skin diseases. She described, “Malaysia is rich in tropical rainforest that is occupied with various flora including herbal plants. In Malaysia, there are more than 2,000 plant species that have been reported to use as medicines and in the therapies by many strata of the society and generation.”

Meanwhile, in his talk, Tajuddin emphasised, “Urban dwellers today are becoming more health-conscious towards the benefits of natural products, such as selecting herbal plants in their daily lives, either to be used as food, medicine or supplements. This has led to an increase in the number of people taking proactive measures to develop herbal gardens in urban areas based on two themes-culinary or medicine. This positive development not only promotes the planting of herbs but also improves the understanding and appreciation of the properties and scientific evidence behind the uses of these herbs.”

The third talk was delivered by the founders of Herbeco (M) Sdn Bhd Stella Kiang and Wyland Kiang. In their talk, both highlighted, “Herbs have many roles, which can be explored as spices, essential oil for skin care and foods for our daily intake.” The talk stressed more on the exploration and discovering of herbs and flowers as the taste for healthy diet.

Last but not least, the fourth talk was delivered by Jeannette Lai Wai Shan. The talk titled “Discovery on Tiger’s Milk Mushroom” focused on Tiger Milk Mushroom also known as the Malaysian Lost National Treasure. She explained, “Tiger Milk Mushroom is a medicinal mushroom that can only be found in the rainforest, especially in Malaysia. It was once thought to be uncultivable. However, with the advancement of biotechnology and almost eight years of effort, in year 2009, the Tiger Milk Mushroom was successfully cultivated by a scientist team.” The talk highlighted more on the benefits of Tiger Milk Mushroom and its medicinal values.

The afternoon session was followed by a series of demonstrations on the use of herbs in culinary, skincare and hair care. The demonstrations were presented by Dr Tan Gim Cheong from the Department of Allied Health Sciences, Chung Kok Heung from the Department of Agricultural and Food Science, Dr Annaletchumy Loganathan from the Department of Allied Health Sciences, Tay Guo Xuan from Magna Nova Sdn Bhd and Wyland Kiang from Herbeco (M) Sdn Bhd. Among the products created and tried throughout the demonstrations were clear herbal soap, wormwood ginger stew eggs, herbal cough drops, herbal shower paste, poolan face mask, DIY herbal mouthwash, and flowers and pineapple salad.

In his closing remarks, FSc Dean Assoc Prof Dr Lim Tuck Meng expressed his gratitude to the organising committee, speakers, sponsors and participants for their support. “Local Herbs Day event has taught us about this wonderful use of herbs and has encouraged the sharing of knowledge on many useful herbs. The event has been continued by a team of dedicated staff with the passion to propagate knowledge in the society. I wish to thank them for this good effort which brings us this interesting and useful event. The Local Herbs Day III has gathered some local practitioners of herbs and featured culinary as well as healthcare product demonstrations.” He added, “We in UTAR are fortunate to have supporters that are willing to help with technical know-how and financially for events. I believe such events will benefit all who participate in it.”

Besides talks, mini demonstrations and workshops, there were also exhibitions and stalls selling herbal products and foods.