Dr Sim (second left) being welcomed by farmers at Sg Apong community farm at Kampung Sg Apong Baru. With him is Fabian (left).
KUCHING: Landowners in the city, whose land may be abundant, could let the community of urban poor turn their idle land into vegetable plots as a means of self-help.
President of Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Senator Datuk Professor Dr Sim Kui Hian said these land owners can do something by working together with the Society for Kuching Urban Poor (SKUP) in allowing their land to be cultivated by the urban poor.
“This will be helpful for the urban poor to be self-sustaining in making a small living from selling vegetables grown from the abundant land,” he told reporters after giving away vegetable nurseries to seven farmers at Sg Apong community farm site here yesterday.
“It would be a waste if such land is not turned into good use and which costs more to maintain for nothing instead of reaping the fruits of the land and let the urban poor benefit from it to improve their livelihood,” he added.
On the Sg Apong community farm site, Dr Sim said help must be rendered to the farmers to help them expand their farm.
“It is important that this community learns ‘how to fish’ (help themselves) rather than giving them a fish everyday, he said.
Dr Sim said there is much such vacant land in and around the city and hence, landowners are welcome to replicate what is being done at Sg Apong community farm, to raise them above the poverty line and to be more financially independent.
Up to now, the project at Kampng Sungai Apong Baru generates about RM5,000 per month, which is divided by the seven participants.
Dr Sim said if land owners in the city are interested in such a venture, they could get in touch with SUPP, Skup, Ceria Group Sdn Bhd and Botanium Resource Sdn Bhd.
Also present were the director of Ceria Group Datuk Affandi Tahir, SUPP chairman of Central Women Section Datin Jennifer Chee , Skup secretary Fabian Wong and Sg Apong community leaders.