Premier: Sarawak to be a top Malaysian rice producer within 5 years, will help strengthen food security
KUCHING (Aug 13): Sarawak is gearing up to become one of Malaysia's biggest rice producers within the next five years, aiming not only to meet its own needs but also to strengthen national food security.
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the state's ambitious push is part of the Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030, designed to reduce reliance on rice imports from countries such as Vietnam and Cambodia.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of National Padi Conference 2025 (Padi 2025) last night, Abang Johari cited a successful trial in his constituency of Gedong, which used new seed varieties, modern machinery, and improved irrigation methods.
'With Universiti Pertanian Malaysia Sarawak, we carried out an experiment in Gedong, where we used new seed varieties on 5ha of land. We applied clean water, advanced machinery, and the right treatments.
'The results showed yields increasing from one tonne per ha to eight tonnes per ha. Furthermore, rice can be harvested over five seasons in just 24 months,' he said.
Abang Johari said farmers' incomes can significantly increase if they have the will to change and adopt modern methods.
'If one season produces eight tonnes, the difference compared to traditional yields is huge.
'Over two years, five harvests can produce 40 tonnes – meaning a substantial rise in income for our community. If this experiment is successful, other areas can also benefit,' he said.
The Premier pointed out Sarawak allocated RM1 million from its own funds in 2023 for irrigation projects and had offered to match federal contributions for similar initiatives.
The state plans to expand paddy cultivation from the current seven sites to 14,000ha, with long-term projections to develop up to 240,000ha – enough to achieve self-sufficiency and supply surplus rice to other states.
He explained the state's efforts will focus on improving soil fertility through biomass-based fertilisers made from oil palm waste and urea derived from local gas, tailored to Sarawak's soil conditions.
The strategy will also combine support for smallholder farmers with scalable, large-scale commercial rice farming.
'If Mardi (Malaysian Agriculture Research and Development Institute) can help Sarawak produce more seeds, we have plenty of land to plant them and produce more rice.
'For example, we just allocated 14,000ha – which is only a small portion of Sarawak's land. If we add another 14,000ha and produce 40 tonnes per 1,000ha, the total from the additional land alone could be around 500,000 tonnes,' he said.
He also called for greater cooperation between Sarawak, Sabah, and Peninsular Malaysia to raise the country's rice production capacity.
He stressed the importance of collaboration between research institutions and the farming community, with research findings needing to be applied in the field to raise productivity.
'We know our climate, we have the land, and with the right technology and seeds, we can produce enough not just for Sarawak, but for Malaysia.
'God willing, by 2030 we will be among the largest rice producers in the country,' he added.
Among those present were Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Dato Sri Arthur Joseph Kurup; Deputy Minister for Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development Sarawak (Food Industry) Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail; Agriculture and Food Security Ministry secretary-General Datuk Seri Isham Ishak; Ministry of Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development Sarawak permanent secretary Datuk Sirai Daha; Mardi board of management chairman Dr Azman Ismail, and Mardi director-general Datuk Dr Mohamad Zabawi Abdul Ghani. Abang Johari food security lead rice production
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
4 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Yayasan UEM helps 5 pursue scholarly dreams
KUALA LUMPUR: She once worked as a fruit cutter at the Pagoh rest and service (R&R) area in Johor, but now, Nur Qalidah Farhana Mohd Azman is a Yayasan UEM scholar, whose ambition is to study electrical engineering at Imperial College London. The daughter of a contractor and school janitor, Qalidah never imagined that she would one day have the opportunity to study abroad. Her original plan was to enrol at Universiti Teknologi Petronas, which motivated her to work part-time at the Pagoh R&R area to save money for her tertiary education. "My mother told me that if I wanted to pursue a higher education, I'd have to wait a while and find the money first. "They didn't want me to work at the R&R area, but I insisted. At their age, my parents needed to rest," said the 18-year-old. Qalidah worked on weekdays and sometimes up to 13 hours a day on weekends, earning about RM1,500 a month. Her financial worries were lifted when she was awarded the 2025 Yayasan UEM Global Scholarship. She was the only female recipient among five this year. Before sitting the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM), Qalidah didn't have a specific career in mind — her only goal was to excel academically. "If you have a dream, you need to take the first step and then seek help. Everything depends on you. "I didn't expect to get 9As. I was active in hockey competitions and only managed three As in my trial exams. "My parents are my biggest motivation — I want them to have an easier life," she said, recalling how she survived on four hours of sleep at SM Sains Muzaffar Syah in Melaka. Yayasan UEM chief executive officer Aishah Nor said: "We subscribe to the notion that education is a fundamental building block for individual opportunity and economic growth. "Our scholarships not only ease the burden of educational expenses but also provide exemplary students from modest backgrounds with the support and opportunities they need to realise their academic and career aspirations." The youngest and only girl among five siblings, Qalidah decided to study electrical engineering after discussing job market trends with her brother, Muhammad Suffian Aqmaar, 26. The other four Yayasan UEM scholars — Justin Low Chun Xian, Muhammad Aqil Aqmar Mohd Nazrol Hisham, Khor Sheng Zhong, and Aqashah Azri — also planned to pursue science, technology, engineering and mathematics courses at top United Kingdom universities after completing their A Level. All were present at the awards ceremony, which was also attended by UEM Group managing director and member of Yayasan UEM's board of trustees, Datuk Amran Hafiz Affifudin.
Borneo Post
5 hours ago
- Borneo Post
Masidi's claim on 2019 RM1 billion bond repayment a 'desperate distortion' - Sarifuddin
Sarifuddin KOTA KINABALU (Aug 14): Former Sabah Assistant Finance Minister Sarifuddin Hata has slammed State Finance Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Masidi Manjun's attempt to portray the 2019 repayment of the state's RM1 billion bond as 'automatic,' calling it a desperate distortion. 'When Warisan took over the administration in 2018, just one year before the bond matured, the Bond Repayment Fund only had about RM400 million,' said Sarifuddin, who is also Merotai assemblyman and Warisan Kalabakan Division chief, in a statement today. He pointed out that based on the previous administration's plan of allocating RM200 million annually, at least RM800 million should have been in the fund by then. 'However, the RM600 million shortfall was the result of weak fiscal discipline before Warisan formed the government,' he said. Sarifuddin accused Masidi of cherry-picking figures, noting that 'being tabled in the budget does not mean the funds were actually allocated and deposited into the bond fund.' He said official records showed the actual balance in 2018 was far below the required amount. He stressed that Warisan's fiscal discipline between 2018 and 2019 successfully closed the gap, preventing a default. 'If the repayment had been 'fully guaranteed' as claimed by the minister, then why was there such a rush to top up the fund when Warisan was in power?' he asked. Warisan, he added, had less than 12 months to raise the fund from RM400 million to over RM1 billion, including interest, without taking new debt, cutting essential development programmes, or burdening the public. 'This was not a 'routine exercise' but a critical effort to safeguard Sabah's finances, credit rating, and credibility,' he stressed. Sarifuddin also maintained that Warisan implemented the sales tax on petroleum products in April 2020 and gazetted it during its administration. 'GRS only collected the revenue because the first payment came in after they took over. The policy, groundwork, and legal framework were all Warisan's work, not GRS',' he said. The former assistant minister reiterated calls for transparency on how the bond proceeds were spent. 'If the minister is confident every sen was spent in Sabah, then disclose the full list of projects, locations, contractors, and beneficiaries. Until this is revealed, talk of 'full accountability' is just empty words,' he said, calling for an independent audit. Sarifuddin criticised GRS for avoiding direct answers in the State Legislative Assembly, instead offering vague promises to 'study the matter' or 'provide a written reply.' He challenged Masidi and the GRS government to debate the matter openly in the Assembly. 'If you truly believe in your facts, there is no reason to fear debating in the august House,' he said. Masidi on Wednesday refuted claims by Warisan president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal that the RM1 billion State Government bond repayment in 2019 was an extraordinary achievement of the Warisan administration. 'The repayment was never a sudden burden. It was planned since 2014 under a Bank Negara Malaysia requirement to set up a Sinking Fund, with RM200 million allocated annually over five years. By the time Warisan came into office, the funds were already budgeted, and only the final RM380 million instalment was tabled during their tenure,' he said in a statement.
The Star
7 hours ago
- The Star
Takaful Malaysia proposes RM1bil Tier 2 subordinated sukuk programme SUBORDINATED SUKUK PROGRAMME
KUALA LUMPUR: Syarikat Takaful Malaysia Keluarga Bhd (Takaful Malaysia) has proposed the establishment of a Tier 2 subordinated sukuk programme of up to RM1 billion in nominal value based on the shariah principle of wakalah bi al-istithmar. The company said in a filing with Bursa Malaysia today that the programme, known as the sukuk wakalah programme, will be used to issue Tier 2 subordinated sukuk with a tenure of not less than five years from the issue date. "The Tier 2 sukuk wakalah issued under the sukuk wakalah programme is intended to qualify as Tier 2 capital of Takaful Malaysia under the Risk-Based Capital Framework for Takaful Operators issued by Bank Negara Malaysia on Dec 17, 2018,' it said, adding that the framework may be further amended, revised or substituted from time to time. Takaful Malaysia said it lodged the required information and relevant documents today with the Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) pursuant to the regulator's guidelines on unlisted capital market products under the Lodge and Launch Framework. The company said it has been accorded a takaful financial strength rating of AA2 by RAM Rating Services Bhd, while the sukuk programme has been given a credit rating of AA3. "The proceeds from the Tier 2 sukuk wakalah will be used for the company's working capital, corporate purposes and to refinance the Tier 2 sukuk wakalah or other shariah-compliant capital instruments. "For the avoidance of doubt, utilisation of proceeds shall at all times be for shariah-compliant purposes,' it said. CIMB Investment Bank Bhd is the sole principal adviser, sole lead arranger and sole lead manager for the sukuk wakalah programme, while CIMB Islamic Bank Bhd is the shariah adviser. - Bernama
