Kota Belud rice project issues inherited from BN era - STAR Sabah

Borneo Post

17-05-2025

Robert Tawik
KOTA KINABALU (May 17): Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STARSabah) has hit back at claims made by Sabah Umno Youth chief Sufian Abdul Karim, who labelled the Projek Jelapang Padi Kota Belud a symbol of the state government's failure in handling food security policy.
Sabah STAR deputy president Datuk Robert Tawik described Sufian's remarks as misleading and lacking historical context, asserting that the problems tied to the project were inherited from the previous administration and cannot be solved overnight.
'Sufian should be more honest when evaluating the facts before pointing fingers. This project began during the time when Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) were in power in both Sabah and the Federal Government,' Robert said in a statement on Saturday.
'Let's not pretend to forget who approved this project, who announced the hundreds of millions in funding, and who oversaw its early implementation. The current Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) government inherited these problems after years of neglect by the same leaders who are now so quick to assign blame,' he added.
Robert stated that the GRS government has never denied the challenges faced by the project, but emphasized that concrete efforts are underway to rehabilitate and restructure it.
This includes the reactivation of the Sabah Paddy and Rice Board (LPBS) and the establishment of the Kota Belud Integrated Agricultural Development Area (IADA).
'If the state government was truly not serious, LPBS would not have been reactivated, IADA Kota Belud would not have been established, and infrastructure such as the drainage system would not be prioritised in the redevelopment plans,' he said.
Robert also questioned Sufian's motives, suggesting that his statement may be an attempt to divert attention from the failures of the previous administration.
'Who was it that approved the project without a detailed plan? Who failed to resolve the irrigation and soil erosion issues? And now, as GRS works to fix these problems step by step, suddenly we're being accused of failure,' he said.
He pointed out that the current administration, under Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor, has placed food security as a top priority and is committed to gradually increasing Sabah's rice self-sufficiency level (SSL) through realistic and sustainable planning.
'There is no shortcut to fixing a decade-old mistake. But at least now, there is political will and concrete action on the ground not just hollow election promises,' Robert stressed.
He also noted that the weaknesses in this sector are not unique to Sabah, but are also present in other states due to factors such as climate change, water resource constraints, and a long-standing reliance on imported rice since BN's federal era.
'The people are tired of blame games in politics. What matters now is the continuity of efforts and long-term solutions not cheap popularity gained by manipulating old issues,' he added.
Robert concluded by urging Sufian to visit the ground and see the recovery efforts in Kota Belud for himself before making sweeping media statements.
'Do not just talk in the media. Go down to the field and see for yourself. The people want solutions, not tired rhetoric,' he stressed.
In a statement on Saturday, Sufian claimed
the long-promised Inisiatif Projek Jelapang Padi Kota Belud, once touted as a cornerstone of Sabah's food security strategy, has become a glaring symbol of administrative failure by the state government.
He said the project, which began with ambitious goals to transform Sabah into a competitive rice-producing region and reduce dependence on imported rice, has yielded little more than unfulfilled promises.
'The people placed great hope in this project, with a target of 10,000 hectares of rice fields and the goal of raising Sabah's rice SSL to 60%. Yet after nearly a decade, the results are extremely disappointing,' said Sufian.
He noted that although the federal government allocated RM340 million under the 11th Malaysia Plan and additional funds through the state budgets from 2017 to 2019, Sabah's SSL in 2024 remains at just 22.8%.
'This figure not only falls far short of the original target but clearly demonstrates policy and implementation failure,' he opined.
The revival of the Sabah Rice and Paddy Board (LPBS), the establishment of IADA Kota Belud, and announcements of new infrastructure projects including a RM36 million IADA office complex expected to be completed only in 2027 have done little to address fundamental issues on the ground, he added.
'What's the point of spending hundreds of millions if farmers still complain about poor drainage and inconsistent planting seasons? What does the grand vision of the Projek Jelapang Padi Kota Belud mean when our SSL keeps declining every year?' Sufian asked.
He pointed out that Sabah's rice output dropped from 72,953 metric tonnes in 2016 to 67,705 metric tonnes in 2022, while the cultivated area has also shrunk. Farmers continue to grapple with flooding and irrigation issues that affect more than 7,000 hectares annually.
He also criticised the state government's apparent lack of urgency in addressing the growing food security crisis.
'The Chief Minister himself has acknowledged our heavy reliance on imported rice. The Deputy Chief Minister I (Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan), who also holds the agriculture portfolio, admits Sabah is still far from meeting its actual demand of 400,000 tonnes per year,' he said.
'More troubling is that the sector's annual budget remains stagnant, with no strategic boost in sight, a clear sign of the state's lack of political will,' he opined.
Sufian added that many key GRS leaders currently in power were also in office when the project was first launched, and must therefore take responsibility for its failure.
'They are not outsiders to this decision, they are part of the failure itself. So how can the people trust the same leadership to fix the damage they created?' he questioned.
He called on the state government to abandon empty slogans and instead focus on concrete results.
'If today's government cannot deliver on a project like this, how can the people have faith in their ability to manage future food challenges?' he said.
'It's time the state government stops pointing fingers and starts taking responsibility. The people of Sabah cannot continue to suffer under policies that look good on paper but collapse in execution,' he concluded.