By Karen Bong
KUCHING, May 12: The RM950 million Batang Lupar paddy project introduced in 2013 failed to achieve its intended outcomes because it was implemented and managed under the federal government at the time, but the situation is different today under the leadership of Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg and the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government.
Batu Kitang assemblyman Lo Khere Chiang said this in response to an interjection by Padungan assemblyman Chong Chieng Jen during the debate on the Sarawak Paddy and Rice Board Bill, 2026 in the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUS) today, where Chong questioned whether previous agricultural authorities were “not focused enough on their job”, resulting in unsuccessful paddy cultivation programmes and low rice self-sufficiency.
“It was donkey years ago and, at that time, agriculture was under the federal government. The initiative and the funding all came from the federal government.
“So if Chong says it failed, then he will have to refer to his boss, the federal government,” he told reporters later during a press conference at the DUS Media Room.
Responding to criticisms raised by opposition members, including Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong, Lo argued that the very weaknesses highlighted by the opposition underscored the need for the establishment of the Sarawak Paddy and Rice Board.
“They spoke about fragmented implementation, insufficient coordination, weak monitoring, irrigation challenges, logistics problems, low productivity, and the need for better long-term planning.
“Exactly. That is why Sarawak now requires a dedicated institutional framework focused specifically on the paddy and rice industry,” he said.
Lo stressed that the proposed Board would strengthen coordination, integrated planning, accountability, focused implementation and long-term institutional continuity for the sector.
“This Bill is not merely creating another office or another letterhead,” he said.
Addressing concerns that the Board alone would not automatically increase rice production, Lo explained that the institution’s role is to establish a dedicated mechanism for planning, monitoring, infrastructure coordination, irrigation integration, stockpile planning, data management, farmer support and long-term food security governance.
“Without a dedicated coordinating institution, development efforts become fragmented across multiple agencies without unified accountability and continuity,” he added.
Lo pointed out that food security challenges today are far more complex than before, with modern paddy development no longer limited to conventional agricultural administration, but also involving integrated irrigation systems, mechanisation, digital monitoring and climate adaptation measures.
“When the complexity of the sector increases, institutional capacity must also evolve,” he said.
He also rejected claims that the Bill represented excessive centralisation, noting that the paddy and rice sector had long operated within highly centralised federal regulatory and administrative structures.
“What Sarawak is doing today is not excessive centralisation. Sarawak is strengthening our own local institutional capacity so that decisions involving Sarawak’s food security can be coordinated more effectively based on Sarawak’s own needs, geography and realities,” he said.
Lo further stressed that the Bill does not contravene or supersede federal law, but instead strengthens Sarawak’s internal institutional capacity within its constitutional and administrative powers.
Describing the move as a “practical and responsible approach” towards strengthening food resilience, he said many of the weaknesses highlighted by the opposition, including weak implementation, inconsistent coordination, low self-sufficiency and fragmented planning, occurred under previous agricultural structures and broader federal-driven arrangements.
“Today, Sarawak is strengthening our own institutional capacity in a more coordinated and focused manner.
“If previous implementation faced limitations, then the answer is stronger coordination, better governance, improved monitoring, clearer accountability, and more focused institutional capacity. That is precisely what this Bill seeks to achieve,” he said.
Lo said the opposition could not spend their speeches highlighting the shortcomings of previous arrangements while simultaneously questioning Sarawak’s efforts to build a stronger system moving forward.
“With respect, those are not arguments against this Bill. Those are the strongest arguments in support of this Bill,” he said.
He added that food security could not depend on fragmented short-term approaches, but instead required long-term planning, institutional continuity, technological upgrading, coordinated governance and strategic commitment.
“The Sarawak Paddy and Rice Board represents an important step in that direction.
“I firmly believe this Bill will strengthen Sarawak’s food resilience, modernise our paddy and rice industry, empower our farmers, and build a stronger and more sustainable future for Sarawak,” he said while expressing support for the Bill. — DayakDaily
