Veggies can be transported out of Kundasang – Junz

0

Junz Wong

KOTA KINABALU: The Government has allowed an exemption for the transportation of vegetables from Kundasang to other parts of Sabah like Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan and Tawau since the first and second week of the Movement Control Order (MCO).

To date, a total of 148 permissions involving 184 vehicles have been registered with special movement stickers.

This was revealed by Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry, Datuk Junz Wong here yesterday following the press release by Jailin Nazrin, the Kampung Lipasu Unit head for the Kinabalu Area Farmers’Association (PPK) recently.

Jailin was recently reported as saying, “The problem is getting worse, as vegetable wholesalers from outside Kundasang are not allowed in. Vegetables are important for the people, and their production and sales must continue.”

Junz said the agency involved in enforcing the MCO are the Royal Malaysian Police, but the transportation of vegetables from Kundasang to Brunei, Sarawak or even Semananjung was exempted.

Junz explained that at the Ranau/Kundasang district level, all agencies involved were working together to ensure farmers and transporters are assisted.

“My ministry, the district office, the police, the Health Ministry, Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (FAMA) and all involved are working closely with the relevant stakeholders like farmers and transporters to ensure the process is smooth.”

“The MCO has affected everyone, especially farmers in Kundasang. This is unavoidable as we need to bend the curve. But we are working closely to reduce the impact on essential activities.”

Junz said he was informed that Sabah FAMA was monitoring the situation to ensure vegetables planted in Kundasang reach Tawau, Lahad Datu, Semporna, Sandakan, Kudat and Kota Kinabalu.

“Vegetables from Kundasang have even reached Sarawak through Sindumin. In fact, Sabah FAMA has also facilitated 45 metric tonnes of produce to places like Selayang in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur. There was no issue.”

Meanwhile, Junz praised farmer and activist Azizul Julirin and his friends for assisting the transportation of produce to Kota Kinabalu.

“I have met and been in touch with Azizul who is a youth activist and farmer in Kundasang himself. He and his friends have been transporting vegetables from Kundasang to Kota Kinabalu.”

“But who is Jailin who made the baseless claim? Is he from Kundasang and a farmer in Kundasang? We have never seen him around and the locals don’t know him.”

“My ministry through the Agriculture Department will continue allowing and monitoring the situation. We have been doing this since the first and second week of the MCO and we will continue doing so,” Junz concluded.