CHRONOLOGY ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF SEAFDEC/MFRDMD

1968 Malaysia is a pioneer member of SEAFDEC since its formation in 1967
1981 The Department of Fisheries Malaysia established a new research center at Pulau Kambing, Kuala Terengganu known as Fisheries Research Institute (FRI) East Coast Branch
1988 An initial proposal was made by the SEAFDEC Council Director for Malaysia to set up a new SEAFDEC Department dealing with fishery resources development and management in the 21 Council Meeting on 29 Nov – 2 Dec 1988 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The department tentatively to be named as the Marine Fishery Resources Development and Management Department (MFRDMD) and to be hosted by Malaysia. The council agreed to establish a Technical working Group to study the Malaysian proposal.
1989 The Councils, in the 22 Meeting in Singapore, welcome the proposal for setting up a new department and was informed that the Secretariat had extended invitation to the Member Countries to nominate two representatives from each Member Countries to participate in the Technical Working Group.
1990 The Technical Working Group conduct Meeting to study the Malaysian proposal on the establishment of the new SEAFDEC department was convened in Bangkok Thailand from 16-19 January 1990. The Council at its 23 Meeting in December 1990 in Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia, agreed to establish the Fourth Department of SEAFDEC/PPSIM was relocated from Wisma Armon to Wisma Perikanan in Chendering (Presently the office for the Terengganu State Department of Fisheries) while the new building for PPSIM was being constructed at he adjacent site.
1991 A team of experts (Dr. Tamotsu Yonemori, Mr. Keiichi Kondo and Mr. Iwao Noguchi), was dispatched to Malaysia in August 1991, to formulate the organization of the fourth department functions, research programs and the three-year operation plan (1992-1994). after considering the repeort of the Mission, the Council in the 24th Meeting held in the Philippines on 10-13 December, 1991 endorsed the report and approved the three year operational plan of MFRDMD for 1992-1994.
1992 DPPSIM has been upgraded to DPPSPM/SEAFDEC-MFRDMD to serve as the national as well the regional center. DPPSPM is acronym for “Departemen Penyelidikan dan Pengurusan Sumber Perikanan Marin”, which is administratively under the Department of Fisheries, Malaysia, and MFRDMD is stand for Marine Fishery Resources Development and Magement Department which serve as the fourth department of SEAFDEC. The center started its activities on 3 May 1992, at its own building in Chendering. The DPPSPM is headed by a Director which is also the Chief for the SEAFDEC-MFRDMD.