Sarawak wants more funds for agriculture infrastructures

MIRI:  With 2,680 hectares of land in Batang Lupar being developed for paddy cultivation project by the Federal Government, Sarawak is hoping for more funding for infrastructure development within the project site,  said  Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan.
“Apart from Batang Lupar, we have many other locations that are suitable for the paddy cultivation such as Gedong, Lawas and Limbang,” he told the media on Monday after presenting land titles under Section 18 and Section 6 of Sarawak Land Code to land owners from Kampung Beraya, Kampung Bulau and Kampung Nusah in Miri.
A total 91 landowners from these three villages received their land titles under Section 18 and Section 6 of the State Land Code during the ceremony.
Tengah was asked to comment on the Federal Government’s approval to develop 2, 680 hectares of land in Barang Lupar for paddy plantation project.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zahid Hamidi had told the Dewan Rakyat yesterday that 4, 838 hectares of land comprising 2, 680 hectares in Sarawak and the rest in Sabah were being developed for paddy cultivation.
AwangTengah said the State government is delighted with  the decision, but the federal government must first provide sufficient fund to construct infrastructures within the project sites, such as to build proper irrigation system.
Meanwhile, on the surveying Native Customary Rights (NCR) land, he said it was an ongoing process, having started since the 1960’s.
He added, from 2010 to September 2023, the Sarawak Land and Survey Department had successfully conducted perimeter survey of approximately 1,116,656 hectares (2.76 million acres) of Native Customary Rights (NCR) lands and of these, 862,715 hectares or 2.13 million acres had been gazetted under the initiative.
Among those present were director-general of the Implementation Coordination Unit (ICU) in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Wan Ahmad Dahlan Abdul Aziz, Deputy Minister of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Datuk Dr Ripin Lamat and Miri Land and Survey Superitendent Anthony Aboi.