TAWAU: Former Chief Conservator Forests, Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Kadir Mohamad Mastan, passed away peacefully at 91 Saturday evening at his home, here.
He joined the Sabah Forestry Department in the 1950s as a Forest Ranger and rose to become Chief Conservator of Forests from 1982 to 1986. He was among the three first Malaysians to be appointed as Chief Conservator of Forests.
Trained at the Forest Research Institute in Puchong and the United Kingdom, he was instrumental in introducing good forest management policies and systems at the Sabah Forestry Department and heavily involved in the drive to gazette forest concessions as conservation areas formally.
Kadir is survived by his wife, Datin Seri Panglima Hajah Zakiah Binti Syed Abu Bakar and seven grandchildren. He is an uncle to former Conservator of Forest’s and now Technical Advisor (Foresty) to the Chief Minister, Datuk Sam Mannan.