KPLB projects empowering rural entrepreneurship in Sarawak

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Abd Latiff (left) accompanied by Awang Tengah (third right), testing a Tahai product at a smoke house in Kampung Punang which has been promoted in Abu Dhabi in UAE by Sarawak.

MIRI: The Ministry of Rural Development (KPLB) nurtures entrepreneurship by providing an ecosystem that is conducive with support of financial aid, training, marketing and necessary assistance to uplift the socio-economic standard of the rural population.

It approved an allocation of RM200,000 for a unique community beads production centre in Lawas district for expansion and upgrading, recognising its potential to penetrate international market for its unique hand-made products.

During his visit to the beads production centre at Long Tuma village on March 28, its minister Datuk Dr Abd Latiff Ahmad was impressed with the quality of its products and market potential if given the necessary support to expand.

The request made by Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, who accompanied him, for financial support for expansion on behalf of the production centre.

The beads are produced by Manik Seramik Enterprise, a community project in this Lun Bawang village.

Patricia packaging the beautiful beads from Long Tuma village which has big potential for the bigger international market.

They are sold at the centre and through its vendors in Sarawak, Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia, and the beads have attracted interest from Japan and United Kingdom.

The minister suggested expanding its range of products and markets to grow the business, saying the ministry has several programmes and schemes to assist entrepreneurs in Malaysia grow their business with financial support, training and expertise.

“This centre can produce tasbih prayer beads for Muslims which have a huge market in the Middle East, particularly during the Haj season, and even in Malaysia which currently imports them from China,” he said.

At Kampung Punang Baru under the ministry’s Desa Lestari programme, KPLB gave the thumbs up to the orderly ‘Tahai’ or smoked fish cottage industry and hoped it could be emulated by other villages.

A cooperative with 480 members has been set up in 2020 for the business and the ministry has allocated RM1 million to turn ‘Tahai’ products into a main source of income for families here, with construction of 11 new smoke houses, Anjung Sunggah and revolving capital for existing businesses.

A Tahai producer at Kampung Punang Baru smoking the Tanban fish with firewood at the smoke house.

Through aid and entrepreneurship training to promote and commercialise products and with Anjung Singgah refreshment centre next to it, the processing centre could also be turned into a tourist attraction, he suggested.

“The ministry through its entrepreneur development programme can assist to market the products through the physical Desamall and its digital platform, and a design house with 40 designers can assist in producing attractive packaging for the entrepreneurs,” said the minister.

Also in the entourage were Deputy Minister of Rural Development Datuk Henry Sum Agong; Agriculture, Native Land and Rural Development Assistant Minister Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail; KPLB deputy director-general Datuk Che Murad Sayang Ramjan and Limbang Resident Ir Ahmad Denney Ahmad Fauzi.


Govt approves RM112 mln for Murud-Suang-Long Tengoa road

Abdul Latiff presenting the ownership documents to Baya Sigar who benefitted from the PPRT housing scheme for the poor.

LAWAS: The Ministry of Rural Development (KPLB) has approved an allocation of RM112 million for the construction of Murud-Suang-Long Tengoa road in Lawas under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP), said Minister Datuk Dr Abd Latiff Ahmad.

This would be carried out in the first rolling plan of Budget 2021 which was tabled in Parliament last November.

“The funds for this project are already available and this infrastructure development will include construction of a 20km road and four bridges,” he said in his speech at Malaysia Prihatin meet-the-people function here on Saturday as part of his two-day working visit to Sarawak and Sabah.

Abd Latiff said his ministry had also approved the MARA Science Junior College (MRSM) Lawas project to be implemented under the 12MP to cater for the demand in northern Sarawak.

These are part of the over-arching strategy to narrow the development gap between Sarawak, Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia under the Shared Prosperity Vision by the PN government led by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

“This serious emphasis on strong federal and state government cooperation is reflected in the establishment of several multi-ministry committees under the purview of Ministry of Sabah and Sarawak Affairs and KPLB is part of the infrastructure development cluster,” he said.

“All rural infrastructure and public amenities programme under the ministry will proceed and the funds are already in place,” he added.

His visit to Sarawak and Sabah on March 27-29 was to look into the needs of the people in the two states as part of the emphasis by the respective state governments to balance basic infrastructure development in both states with Peninsular Malaysia.

He pointed out that KPLB’s programmes are rural–centric which go beyond provision of physical infrastructure projects.

Its economic empowerment programmes such as Raising Additional Revenue (Peningkatan Penambahan Pendapatan – PPP), Additional Economic Activities (Program Aktiviti Ekonomi Tambahan – AET) and Quick win Kemas had benefitted rural entrepreneurs throughout the country, including those in Sarawak.

To mitigate the burden of the people, the PN federal government rolled out Permai, i-Sinar, Bantuan Prihatin Rakyat and Pemerkasa as strategic aid programmes to empower the people and economy affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, he added.

The minister handed over 10 PPRT houses built by KPLB’s agency GIATMARA and SPKLB grants to 10 recipients respectively in Lawas.

On another matter, the minister called on Sarawakians to continue to support the strong cooperation between the federal government and the GPS state government to continue this shared prosperity momentum in the state.

He said the people and leaders of Sarawak are politically matured and called on them to continue supporting GPS representatives in the coming elections.

During a visit to Maragang buffalo breeding station on March 28, the minister agreed to take over the upgrading of the 3km access road to Rumah Ajan longhouse and expressed interest in the forward-looking plan by the station to produce cheese and suggested it also include supporting ancillary services.

Also in the entourage were Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan; Deputy Minister of Rural Development Datuk Henry Sum Agong; and Agriculture, Native Land and Rural Development Assistant Minister Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail.


Ministry on mission to uplift, empower rural population and less fortunate

Merpati poses after the ceremony where she received a grant worth RM10,000 from the ministry to renovate her ‘ikan tahai’ smokehouse.

LAWAS: The Rural Development Ministry is determined to help uplift the rural population out of poverty while at the same time providing a caring hand to the less fortunate in need of welfare assistance.

Last year, the ministry through GIATMARA completed 192 reconstruction projects and rehabilitated 445 houses across the country.

For Sarawak, GIATMARA under its Skim Bina Baru 2021 programme built 10 new houses to replace dilapidated or razed houses for selected candidates in Lawas District, at a total cost of RM63,000.

This past weekend, Rural Development Minister Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad handed over ownership of these new houses to the respective recipients during a ceremony held at Hotel Seri Malaysia here.

Among the recipients was 59-year-old grandmother Baya Sigar from Kampung Tok Dayang, who was overjoyed that her family could now live in a three-bedroom concrete home.

“We are really grateful and thankful to the Perikatan Nasional government for building this house for us. It is definitely much more comfortable than our old wooden house which was built on stilts over a water-logged area,” she said.

The Skim Bina Baru programme is one of the ministry’s rural poverty eradication initiatives to raise the quality of life among the poor or hardcore poor, by providing them a safer and more comfortable home.

For coastal fisherman Osman Ladin, he said he is grateful to the ministry for providing Additional Economic Activity (AET) assistance under the Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (RISDA) to the fishing community here to enable them to carve out a better living.

The 62-year-old from Kampung Nor Islam and 20 others each received an outboard engine from the minister under the first phase of the scheme, in which RM500,000 has been allocated for 50 fishermen this year.

Osman with his new outboard engine which will enable him to head further out to sea to catch more fish.

The assistance is timely as it would enable the fishermen to go further out to sea in view of the declining catch near the shore, said fellow fisherman Asan Bigar, 64.

“I’m very happy with this new outboard engine provided by the government because I can now head to sea to catch more fish and raise my family’s income,” he said.

Over in the fishing village of Kampung Awat Awat, resident Merpati Sebahi, 50, expressed her gratitude to the ministry for providing the funds to repair her rundown ‘ikan tahai’ smokehouse

She received a grant worth RM10,000 under the Rural Entrepreneurship Enhancement Support Programme (SPKLB) to renovate her smokehouse which is in need of repairs and equipment replacement, as well as for her revolving capital.

“I am very grateful and appreciate the approval of this government grant, and also for the past support from MARA (Majlis Amanah Rakyat) officers who helped me to successfully produce ‘ikan tahai’ products over the last 10 years,” said Merpati.

Targeted at rural entrepreneurs, SPKLB is an entrepreneurship grant to help bear operational cost and provide revolving capital for rural entrepreneurs. In Sarawak, a total of 12 such applications have been approved this year.

During his visit here this past weekend, Abdul Latiff handed out a total of RM99,200 to 10 successful SPKLB applicants – most of which were for the much-needed repairs of old ‘ikan tahai’ smokehouses in Lawas District whose products are marketed in Brunei, Peninsular Malaysia and even Singapore.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan on behalf of Abdul Latiff yesterday handed over two ‘Warung Desa@KPLB’ kiosks from the Rural Development Ministry to two entrepreneurs here, along with AET assistance to nine recipients.

It was learned that the federal ministry has approved 10 such kiosks for Sarawak this year.

Present with Awang Tengah at the handing-over ceremony was Rural Development Deputy Minister II Datuk Henry Sum Agong.