By Jacob Achoi
KUCHING, Sept 4: Mambong incumbent Datuk Dr Jerip Susil is putting politics as the back-burner and to help the constituents to get involved in economic activities to generate income.
He said the important issue now was to answer the call by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg to get the people to participate in economic development and progress activities, through agriculture among them.
“Whether I will defend the seat, it is up to the chief minister (to decide), but what is important now is to respond and implement the chief minister’s call for the people in every constituency to get involve in economic activities.
“Otherwise it is not so much the issue of wanting to defend the seat or becoming the candidate.. that’s natural, but what I’m doing now is to respond and implement in my constituency on how to enable the people in the area to look for economic development and progress and that agenda must carry on,” Dr Jerip, who is Assistant Minister of Transport said today.
He has earlier officiated at the Agriculture Community Outreach Programme (AgriCOP), representing Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, at Kpg Taba Sait, Bengoh Resettlement Scheme (BRS), near here.
He said Mambong has been identified for the planting of coffee, with Kpg Emperoh Git earmarked for the pioneer project.
According to him, about 23,000 acres have been earmarked for the planting of the crop, which will make the area a coffee belt.
To realise the mission, Dr Jerip said the seven Bidayuh associations have been tasked to organise workshop by working with the Department of Agriculture.
“To respond to the call (by the state government) to become a net food exporter by 2030, I will mobilise all the seven associations and to work together to disseminate information on AgriCOP and the available facilities to the people in the area, particularly on the planning of coffee,” he pointed out.
He added that by planting coffee, the people can also engage in inter-cropping by planting pineapple and ginger.
“This is the kind of forward thinking by the chief minister and we need a collective effort to look into ways for the people in the area to engage in economic development and progress,” Dr Jerip asserted. -DayakDaily
