By Dayangku Hidayatul
KUCHING, May 12: Kota Sentosa assemblyman Wilfred Yap has proposed that the Sarawak Padi and Rice Board adopt a transparent performance-based monitoring system with publicly reported milestones to ensure tangible results are delivered.
Debating the Sarawak Padi and Rice Board Bill 2026 in the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUS) today, he said the move is necessary to avoid creating another layer of bureaucracy while ensuring accountability for the State government’s RM1 billion investment in padi and rice infrastructure and development.
“Urban taxpayers, just like rural communities, deserve assurance that every ringgit spent will translate into measurable outcomes—increased production, reduced dependency on imports, and stable rice prices for consumers,” he said.
Yap said the monitoring system should measure key outcomes, including the amount of land successfully cultivated, annual increases in production output, and whether investments are effectively reducing supply vulnerabilities.
He stressed that infrastructure development alone would not guarantee success, pointing out that many projects elsewhere had failed due to poor maintenance, weak coordination, and a lack of local participation.
“We cannot afford expensive facilities that eventually become underutilised or unsustainable,” he added. — DayakDaily
