KUCHING: The establishment of the Highland Development Agency (HDA) under Regional Corridor Development Authority (RECODA) has created a sense of excitement and expectation for the development of thehighland 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 held in Mulu last Saturday, where it’s members, including representatives from the local communities, 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 UggahEmbas, who is Chairman of HDA,outlined areas for the agency to generate a greater pace of socio-economic development.
These included areas where immediate infrastructure development projects will be implemented, particularly improvements intourism 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 boxes (hives) to be distributed.
Apart from that, Uggah said one of the primary objectives of HDA was to close the socio-economic 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 BayaDandot, 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 completethe coverage of the five growth nodes of SCORE while enhancing inclusiveness in development efforts throughout the Corridor.
As for HDA Advisor Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri (Dr) Alfred Jabu anakNumpang, he believed that Sarawak’s highland areas should be developed to achieve their potential to rival the famous Cameron Highlands in Pahang and Kundasang highlands in Sabah.
Jabu also stressed that community responsiveness support (CRS) from the rural community was 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 Dato Gerawat Gala, who has also been appointed as Deputy Chairman of HDA;Deputy Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister and Lawas Member of Parliament Dato Henry Sum Agong; Baram Member of Parliament AnyiNgau;TelangUsan assemblyman Dennis Ngau; Deputy State Secretary Datu Haji Ismawi Haji Ismuni; and Ministry of Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development Permanent Secretary Buckland Bangik.
Other members in attendance included Miri Resident,SherrinaHussaini, and representatives from Limbang Resident’s Office,Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports, State Planning Unit of the Chief Minister’s Department (SPU), and Sarawak Energy Bhd (SEB).
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 Haji Abdul Rahman Zohari bin Tun Datuk Abang Haji Openg here last week.
