Registered Office: @ Malaysian Technology Centre, University Research Park, 43400 Serdang, Selangor D.E., Malaysia; Tel +6 03-89412000, Fax +6 03-89411100, +6 03-89412200 Factory Address: Lot 5646, Parit Buntar Industrial Park, 34200 Parit Buntar, Perak, D.R.; Tel +6 05-7174454, 7167555; Fax: +6 05-7174452

| Products | Some Chemistry of Chitosan (in Malay) |

Dr Arisol

Dr Mat

Dr Md Pauzi

A Brief Chronology

1983, a group of lecturers from Chemistry Department, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, led by Dr Arisol Alimuniar, a polymer chemist, introduced and pioneered a research on a fast reemerging material called chitin. He was assisted by colleagues Dr Mat Zakaria, also a polymer chemist and Dr Md Pauzi Abdullah, a chartered analytical chemist. The research subject was the first of such in Malaysia.

1984, a laboratory in Chemistry Department was allocated for chitin research. It was named Chitin Laboratory and consequently the group was known as Chitin Group. The interested members of the University had also swelled in number to include those from Life Sciences and Medical Faculties. In subsequent years research on chitin and chitosan were very active with the participation of students, under- and post-graduates, and most of all the indespensable Government's IRPA mechanism research grant which the group managed to secure, all together about half million MR, spanning the years 1988 to 1994, in 01-07-03-002 and 02-07-03-011.

1986, after about three years of researching, the results convinced the group that a chitin production in Malaysia was more than feasible to be set up. It was thus forwarded and registered in Bureau of Consultancy and Extension (BCE), the University's organ for promoting and commercialising the research results. Rapport with private and public enterprises were established, the main target being the cold strage operators, both inside and outside the country, and discussion probed into all possible forms of setup, not excluding JVC (then not allowed).

Mr Teoh

1987, to add to the sources feasibility data, a survey for the whole Peninsular Malaysia was carried out; one late Friday afternoon, January 9, Dr Arisol, Dr Mat Zakaria and Dr Md Pauzi visited Eastern Global SB in Parit Buntar, the largest cold storage company in the country. They were met by Mr Teoh Han Chew, the company's Chairman and Managing Director. The first meeting was merely a "conversation" while the researchers were probing into production figures of various products which had chitinuous wastes, one of them was the ubiquitous prawn shells from their C&P which were then on service-barter arrangement with duck breeders. Since then the company became one of the group's raw material sample supplier.

1993, Malaysian Technology Development Corporation (MTDC) was made to involve for stronger backing, especially from legal aspects.

1994, November 21-23, Dr Mat presented a paper in Penang before the Society of cold storage operators in National Conference on Production, Handling and Processing of Fish and Fishery Products, organised by MARDI, Penang State Agricultural Committee, Department of Fishery Malaysia and Fishery Development Authority Malaysia (LKIM). December 29, Dr Mat and Dr Pauzi met unofficially Mr Teoh of Eastern Global, in Taiping, to brief on the possible production of chitin based on the raw material from his factory. He agreed and prepared for official engagement with UKM. Several meetings followed in UKM with BCE took full resposibility of the arrangements.

1995, November 25, factory site trial production was carried out in EG premise, Parit Buntar, to obtain chitosan samples for market survey by MTDC who had then footed some of the bill. Export potential were overwhelming with enquiries from Norway, Germany, USA and Japan, but the price they asked was very compatitive. It hitched a little and procrastinated time. Nonetheless, EG was consequently very pleased to host a meeting in its premise, on December 9, to get closer look into the production including the potential plant layout. The top management of UKM's BCE and MTDC had for the first time an opportunity to see the future plant site.

Mr Hiew

1996, November 14-15, MTDC with the cooperations of Ministry of International Trade and Industries (MITI) and Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment (MOSTE) organised the First National Technology Connection Seminar in Kuala Lumpur. Dr Pauzi presented a paper on chitin and chitosan. The presentation attracted Mr Victor K.C. Hiew, Chairman of Sri Kinsama, a natural health food and herbal manufacturer based in Sabah. The company had been using chitosan for quite sometimes then, imported from Japan. The company was deleriously happy to join the efforts. With the participation of Sri Kinsama, represented by its subsidiary Perfect Pursuit (PP), a perfect combination was formed. In the following year, the Government corporatisation policy reached University, and a JVC setup was not only possible, but it even imminent. The first meeting between all the parties, UKM, MTDC, EG, and PP was held on December 10 in UKM.

1997, PP requested a trial sample for its application by Nationwide Vision, another subsidiary of Sri Kinsama, and thus another trial site production was carried out on March 23. In the mean time draft constitution of a JVC was prepared by MTDC legal unit, preceded by a MOU signed on April 4 in Parit Buntar between the four parties, witnessed by En Anuar the MTDC's CEO. The final agreement on the formation of a JVC was signed on December 18 in UKM, witnessed by the Prime Minister's scientific adviser, Tan Sri Professor Dr Omar, and the company, named Chito-Chem (Malaysia) Sendirian Berhad (CCSB) was incorporated on December 30, 1997.

1998, April 4, Parit Buntar. Front row from left: Mr Teoh Eng Pin, Dr Md Pauzi, Mr Teoh Han Chew, Dr Sharifah Mastura, En Anuar, Mr Victor Hiew. Back Row from left: Mr Tan, Mrs Teoh, Ms Yim Wai Cheng, En Yuseri, En Mohd Nizamuddin, Dr Mat Zakaria, Mr Ambrose Hiew, En Mohd Radzi, Mr Chan, Mr Blaise Hiew, En Khalil, and En Mustafa.

1998, in January, the first Board Meeting was held, January 27 in Desa Pandan, the registered office: Chairperson, Dr Sharifah Mastura (UKM); Secretary, En Mohd Nizamuddin Mokhtar (MTDC); Directors, Dr Md Pauzi Abdullah (alt by Dr Mat Zakaria) (UKM), Mr Teoh Han Chew (EG), Mr Teoh Eng Pin (EG), Ms Lim Tin Siew (PP), Mr Blaise Hiew Wiu Ling (PP), Ms Yim Wai Cheng (MTDC). En Mohd Radzi Zainuddin from UKM was appointed on secondment as factory manager for twelve months commencing June 1, 1998, the maiden operation date of Chito-Chem.

Mr Saw Leng Hean

1999, subsequent to many changes in the constituent partners in the JVC, the directors as at first AGM held on May 12 in Parit Buntar are: Dr Mohd Marzuki Mokhtar (UKM - Chaiman), En Mohd Nizamuddin Mokhtar (MTDC - Secretary/Director), Dr Md Pauzi Abdullah (UKM - director, alt by Dr Mat Zakaria), Mr Saw Leng Hean (EG - director), Ms Lim Tin Siew (PP - director). The new management had accelerated the development of the company. With the more fund raised during the meeting, the company began to sell its product beginning in June.

May 12, 1999. First AGM of Chito-Chem (M) SB, in Parit Buntar. Clockwise from left: Ms Lim, Mr Hiew, Dr Mazlan, Mohd Faisal, Ms Teh, Mr Saw, Dr Marzuki, Dr Mat Zakaria, Dr Md Pauzi, Mohd Yuseri, and Mohd Radzi.