(From right) Abang Johari shakes hands with Salahuddin, as Uggah and Dr Abdul Rahman look on. — Photo by Chimon Upon
KUCHING: The Pakatan Harapan (PH)-led government has assured the people that bureaucracy in the agriculture sector will be a thing of the past.
This assurance comes from Minister of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Salahuddin Ayub.
“I don’t want any more bureaucracy in the agriculture sector. This is the assurance that I can give.
“I will make sure that the incentives, expertise, relationship and negotiation between the federal and Sarawak governments in this sector will be made easier,” he told reporters after paying courtesy call on Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg at the latter’s office here yesterday.
Salahuddin said he wanted Sarawak to be the destination of choice for modern agriculture in order to contribute to the country’s agriculture sector.
He said the agriculture potential is huge in Sarawak because of her vast land mass – amost as big as Peninsular Malaysia – to be turned into a food production hub.
“During our meeting just now, we discussed the development of paddy fields, animal-rearing and planting of other crops.
“Our country is lacking in local meat. This is something we are looking at seriously, and we want to develop the local meat industry in our country, including in Sarawak,” he said, adding that Abang Johari was very supportive of the ideas and issues brought up during the discussion.
Salahuddin said they also agreed to form a new joint committee between the federal Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry (MoA) and the Ministry of Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development (Manred) of Sarawak.
This committee would be headed by MoA secretary-general and Manred’s permanent secretary. It would also talk about deep-sea fishing licences – an old issue that must be resolved as soon as possible.
“I hope with the existence of this committee, there would be no more bureaucracy, no more obstruction to hinder the good relationship between the federal and Sarawak governments.
“Issues that have been delayed would be resolved speedily so that we could move forward to develop the vast land in Sarawak for the agriculture sector,” said Salahuddin, adding that the bilateral relationship between the two governments was also brought up during the discussion.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas who is the minister-in-charge of Manred, and Assistant Minister of Agriculture Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail were also present.