FESTIVE SPIRIT: (From left) Dr Jerip, Lee, Len and Dawos holding Chinese New Year banners during the function.
SIBURAN: The state government has agreed to allocate between 10 and 15 acres of land for the establishment of a permanent site for the first-ever vegetable wholesale market in the state.
However, it would be subject to the availability of land in the area identified, said Second Minister of Resource Planning and Environment Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hassan.
Responding to the Wholesale and Distributors Association of Kuching and Samarahan chairman Lee Pui Siong’s request for the vegetable wholesale market to be located in Kuching, Awang Tengah said it was difficult to find a suitable land in Kuching due to the scarcity of land.
He, however, suggested that the market be located in other areas such as Mile 10 up to Siburan.
“These areas can be considered because in 20 to 30 years’ time, those areas will probably grow to be even bigger than Serian,” Awang Tengah said in a message delivered through Assistant Minister of Environment Datu Len Talif Salleh during the Wholesale and Distributors Association of Kuching and Samarahan’s inauguration cum Chinese New Year dinner at Siburan Community Hall here on Sunday.
Len was representing Awang Tengah who was not able to attend the function due to other commitments in Kuala Lumpur.
Assuring that the state government would try its best to help the association obtain the land as soon as possible, Awang Tengah said it was for the benefit of the people and not a political move.
“The state government will give chance for the people and this is what we call political contract between the state government and people. This political contract is very important. You can see how stable the state is under the BN (Barisan Nasional) government,” he highlighted.
On the formation of the association, Awang Tengah was confident that it would benefit consumers in terms of lower pricing and consistent supply of vegetables.
“For the supplier side, it is important for all levels – from vegetable farmers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers – to benefit from their businesses as it is always the hope of the state government that the people benefit from businesses that they are involved in.”
In his message, Awang Tengah announced a grant of RM10,000 for the association.
Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Tourism and Mambong MP Datuk Dr James Dawos Mamit in his speech revealed that he met with members of the association on Jan 13 this year to discuss the problems they faced.
“They told me that they do not have a permanent place to conduct their vegetable wholesale business. The place they are using at the car park behind Stutong Community Market is not suitable and whenever it rains, they are not able to conduct their businesses.
“Therefore, they had proposed for a permanent site to be established in Kuching,” Dawos said.
After the meeting, he held a meeting at 3pm on the same day with Awang Tengah to discuss their request.
“After the meeting, we agreed that the association should apply for state land but there is no state land in Kuching and other lands in Kuching are expensive.
“Therefore, I suggested to the association to search for a land with a size of between 10 and 15 acres within a radius of 10 miles from Kuching,” he said.
Unlike the other states in the Peninsula, Sarawak was the only state which did not have a wholesale market, Dawos said.
“In the peninsula, almost every state has a wholesale market so why cannot we have one? There is a need for a wholesale market in the state so it is easier for both wholesalers and customers to trade,” he added.
Before concluding his speech, Dawos announced a grant of RM20,000 for the association.
The function was attended by Bengoh assemblyman Dr Jerip Susil, Kuching City South Council mayor James Chan, Padawan Municipal Council chairman Lo Khere Chiang and Sarawak Lawn Tennis Association president Datuk Patrick Liew and Lee.
Other leaders who contributed to the association were Social Development Minister Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom with a grant of RM5,000, Dr Jerip with a grant of RM5,000 and Liew with a contribution of RM2,000.