New SCORE agency to accelerate development in highland areas

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Uggah (seated centre) is seen in a group photo with (seated from left) Ismawi, Henry, Gerawat, Jabu, Wilson and Anyi, as well as (standing from left) State Planning Unit representative Lester Matthew, Buckland, Limbang Resident’s Office representative Selamat Jati Yanjah, Dennis, Miri Resident Sherrina Hussaini, Sarawak Energy Berhad representative Leslie Chai, and Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports representative Dr Bolhan Budeng.

KUCHING: The establishment of the Highland Development Agency (HDA) under the Regional Corridor Development Authority (Recoda) has created a sense of excitement and expectation for the development of highland areas, which will be developed as part of the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) initiative.

This was clearly evident at HDA’s first board meeting in Mulu on Saturday, where its members, including representatives from the local community, were united in their stance to support accelerated development in areas covering Long Lama up to Upper Baram, as well as Limbang and Lawas.

At the meeting, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, who is HDA chairman, outlined areas for the agency to generate a greater pace of socioeconomic development.

These included areas where immediate infrastructure development projects will be implemented, particularly improvements in tourism facilities in Mulu, as well as other ‘low-hanging fruit’ projects such as the Long Lama Rural Growth Centre (RGC) and the Integrated Highland Agriculture Station (IHAS) in Upper Baram.

Another ‘low-hanging fruit project’ proposed was the implementation of a project for selected communities to rear ‘kelulut’, or stingless bees, to produce honey, with an initial target of 10,000 hives to be distributed.

Apart from that, Uggah said one of the primary objectives of HDA is to close the socioeconomic gap that exists between regions within Sarawak and ultimately eradicate poverty, by leveraging on the rich biodiversity, cool climate, and large tracts of land in the highland areas, as well as realising the potential of agro-tourism in the region.

According to Recoda chief executive officer Tan Sri Datuk Amar Wilson Baya Dandot, the projects and programmes proposed by HDA will be brought to Recoda for further action.

He also noted that the recent establishment of HDA and Upper Rajang Development Agency (Urda) will complete the coverage of the five growth nodes of SCORE while enhancing inclusiveness in development efforts throughout the corridor.

HDA advisor Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu Numpang said he believed that Sarawak’s highland areas should be developed to achieve their potential to rival Cameron Highlands in Pahang and Kundasang Highlands in Sabah.

Jabu also stressed that community responsiveness support (CRS) from the rural community is crucial and that development in the area should be implemented in stages.

Members of the HDA board present at the meeting included State Legislative Assembly Deputy Speaker and Mulu assemblyman Datuk Gerawat Gala, who has also been appointed as HDA deputy chairman; Deputy Minister of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism and Lawas Member of Parliament Datuk Henry Sum Agong; Baram Member of Parliament Anyi Ngau; Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau; Deputy State Secretary Datu Ismawi Ismuni; and Ministry of Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development permanent secretary Buckland Bangik.

The creation of HDA, as well as the formation of Urda, was also one of the main items highlighted and approved at the Recoda Board of Directors meeting chaired by Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg here last week.