KAPIT: Assistant Minister of Agriculture Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail made a recent visit to Kapit.
He used the opportunity to advise cottage industry entrepreneurs to go for ‘digital commerce’ or online business instead of dependent on the local market in promoting and marketing their products.
“The policy of the government wants all sectors to go for ‘digital economy’ online businesses. The conventional method now depends a lot on local market that also includes a venue to exhibit and sale the produces. However, the market is limited depends on the visitors whereas ‘online business’, it is accessible by the whole world without any barrier”, he said.
“Entrepreneurs need to change their mindset to go for online businesses instead of the conventional method. By doing so, they could carry out business at home or even in rural setting with creating the social media to display and exhibit the products in the facebook, whatsapp, wechatt, Instagram, blog and other social media” said Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail during his visit to a cottage industry belongs to Fransiska Blantau at Taman Goram Heights’ Jalan Bukit Goram, Kapit recently.
He pointed out that Iban women are good at traditional ‘puakumbu’ weaving. “PuaKumbu has big market because tourists both locals and from abroad buy souvenirs and gifts. A fine piece of PuaKumbu could easily fetch RM2000 or even more depending on the pattern and size” said Dr Rahman.
Responding to pressmen, Dr Abdul Rahman said this was his first official visit to Kapit since he was appointed assistant minister. He came because he wanted to have first hand knowledge at the role of the Kapit Agriculture Department and the impacts of the department’s activities on the farming communities and also the women folks who received various scheme and on ‘insitu’ hands on training to supplement their income and improved their livelihood.
During his visit here, he attended a briefing on the activities carried up by the Kapit Agriculture Department and later paid site visits to see various projects implemented by the Department.
Fransiska Blantau, a housewife has participated in the Jabatan Pertanian Bahagian Kapit’s ‘Cawangan Industries AsasTani (IAT-EK) earlier. With the hands on skill specialising in weaving ‘puakumbu’ she started the project with an assistance of RM10,000 from the Agriculture Department Kapit.
She hails from Rumah Anding, Nanga Melinau, Baleh River in Bukit Mabong District. She was categorised as low income group then. With the cash assistance of RM10,000 to purchase the basic accessories focusing on ‘Project Pua Kumbu’ she managed to increase her income amounting to RM16,881 in the first quarter of 2017. On the second quarter of the year she managed to generate income amounting to RM13,345, third quarter amounting to RM20, 250 and last quarter of the year amounting to RM19,500 respectively.
Her success story was showcased in the ‘Rancangan Selamat Pagi Malaysia TV’ and she held demonstration to the locals at ‘Tobacco Dock And Asia House ‘ in London in 2017.
Her trade brand address is Rornalidam Puakumbu Enterprise, facebook – rornalidam PuaKumbu, rornalidam_puakumpu or rornalidam@yahoo.com.
Accompanying Dr Abdul Rahmanfor the visit were State Assemblyman for Bukit Goram Jefferson Jamit Unyat; Assistant Director of Agriculture Department (Commercial Crops) Sarawak Dominic Chunggat; administrative officer Baijury Dzulhizam Spawi; Assistant Director of Kapit Agriculture Department Badin Tunor; Kapit Police chief DSP Freddy Bian, Ambrose Abong Bugek who is the Special Affairs Officer to the Deputy Minister of Rural and Regional Development Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi; heads of departments and community leaders.
