Uggah (centre) accepts a memento from one of the delegates at PBB Engkilili TGM.
SRI AMAN: A senior citizen who sells ‘kerepek pisang’ (banana chips) online is now an anchor customer of a banana plantation and earning a five-figure monthly income.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said he met the woman, who is in her 60s, during a visit to a banana farm in Bau recently.
“She told me that she would go there every day to buy bananas for her ‘kerepek’. I asked her: ‘How do you sell the snack’ to which she replied: ‘My granddaughter helps me to market it on the Internet – we make more than RM10,000 per month’,” Uggah said at the start of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Engkilili branch triennial general meeting (TGM) at Hotel Seri Simanggang here yesterday.
According to Uggah, high-speed Internet would be playing a key role once rural folks know how to sell their agriculture produce, handicrafts and homestay services online.
Still, he admitted that communications facilities in the rural areas are still very poor – a situation that prompted Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg to pledge RM1 billion in investments to upgrade Internet infrastructure in the state.
In his speech, Uggah highlighted another woman ‘pau’ (steamed buns) entrepreneur, who used to make between RM200 and RM300 per day but now she is earning at least RM1,000 per day – thanks to online marketing.
This, he said, is proof that Internet marketing especially via social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram is very effective – all that one requires is high-speed Internet.
“You will not be selling your products only within your village, but also to customers from all over the world,” he said, stressing that the chief minister did not coin the phrase ‘digital economy’ just for the sake of it.
On the latest issue in Sarawak, Uggah called upon members of PBB Engkelili to make a stand on Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) and pass a resolution to support the chief minister’s decision to fight for Sarawak rights.
“The struggle was started by (former chief minister) Pehin Sri Adenan Satem, and we must back Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari to reclaim Sarawak rights (from federal government),” he stressed, adding that leaders from PBB Engkelili branch and sub-branches should explain the MA63 issue to people in rural areas.