KUCHING: The bumiputera community must take seriously the assistance given by the government to improve their economic standing.
Deputy Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Willie Mongin said this to reporters during a press conference held after he officiated at the Pepper Board Service Awards and presentation of certificates at Imperial Hotel today.
He said the bumiputera community was still behind other races despite various efforts and assistance that were given by the government.
Thus, Willie reckoned that there was a need for the native community to double their efforts in exploring business sectors.
“In the 2021 National Budget, the government has allocated millions in efforts to ensure the bumiputera agenda will continue to be the aspirations of the Shared Prosperity Vision 2030, to tackle inequality, structuring the economy and most importantly to empower the community.” he told reporters when asked to comment on Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg proposal to come up with a formula in effort to nurture and improve the participation of bumiputeras in economic sectors.
In welcoming the efforts, Willie also asserted that the ministry supported the initiatives as long as these benefitted the bumiputera community.
“On behalf of the ministry, we also have provided grant assistance for commodity smallholders, to help them increase new plantations and for the maintenance activities of the existing plantations.
“These include our agencies which help the smallholders, especially the rubber plantation, coco, palm oil, logging, tobacco and kenaf, to yield more productions of their plantations.
“As for tobacco, the plantation now is not very active because we do not have new plantations. The kenaf industry, however, has a big potential, as well as the timber or logging,” he added.
Another obstacle is the shortage of young smallholders involved in the commodity plantation industry, Willie noted.
He said most of the farmers were the aging farmers.
“Besides giving incentives, to be able to attract young bumiputeras to venture into planting pepper commercially, we need to make sure that the market price of the pepper in the downstream area is not too low,” he said.
