When the first rays of sunlight break through the clouds, the highlands of Lawas sit beneath a slow-moving sea of mist. Valleys disappear without sound, and the mountains seem to hover between earth and sky.
These remote highlands, located at least two hours from Lawas town, are home to the Lun Bawang, an indigenous community whose name literally means “people of the land”. Their settlements stretch across the Lawas highlands, including Ba’Kelalan, and surrounding villages near the borders of Sabah and Kalimantan.
Life here is closely tied to the land. The Lun Bawang are known for strong community bonds, quiet hospitality, and a sense of continuity that runs across generations. Their language carries a soft melodic rhythm shaped by the highland air itself.
For generations, that connection to the land has been part of daily life.
Agriculture is part of daily routine and is carried within families as both livelihood and inheritance.
Among the most important crops is Adan rice, grown in areas such as Long Sukang, Long Luping, and Long Kerebangan, and valued for its fine texture and fragrance.
In recent years, Arabica coffee has appeared more widely across these highlands. Farmers have gradually turned to coffee to strengthen and diversify household income, adding a new layer on an already rooted agricultural landscape.
From these highlands, LINAWA emerged.
A homegrown brand developed by Koperasi Usahasama Long Sukang Lawas Berhad, LINAWA brings Adan rice and Arabica coffee under a single entity, turning scattered harvests into a structured, community-driven value chain.
The cooperative plays a central role in this system, aggregating and purchasing coffee cherries directly from farmers across Lun Bawang villages, helping to organise production and strengthen consistency across the value chain.
What once moved as individual harvests now carries a shared direction, shaped by collective effort, local pride, and growing capability.
Building community capability through TULiP
LINAWA’s journey began with the Towards Uplifting Lives Programme (“TULiP”), a social impact initiative by PETRONAS implemented in collaboration with Yayasan Hasanah and Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS’ (UTP) through its Institute of Smart and Sustainable Living (“ISSL”), aimed at strengthening community entrepreneurship and improving rural livelihoods in Lawas.
Since 2021, the programme has supported the community with entrepreneurship training, mentoring, product innovation, capability building, and market access.
PETRONAS Carigali Sdn. Bhd. (Sarawak Assets) Senior General Manager, Encik Shalby Reduan said the transformation reflects meaningful progress built alongside the community.
“Through the TULiP initiative, we have seen how small-scale efforts gradually evolve into a more structured and sustainable value chain. It reflects the way the community has strengthened its organisation and deepened its agricultural activities over time,” he said.
Shalby further added that the focus has always been long-term capability building.
“The objective is to ensure that communities are equipped with the skills and confidence to sustain and grow these initiatives independently,” he said.
Before TULiP, many farmers faced the same challenge—distance.
Long journeys over rugged terrain, limited processing facilities, and fragmented market access meant raw produce was sold at lower value points.
A cooperative leader reflected on how the change is felt on the ground.
“Previously, farmers had to travel far just to sell their produce in town. It was tiring and the returns were often uncertain,” said Koperasi Usahasama Long Sukang Lawas Berhad President, Sulaiman Palong, who is also the village chief of Kampung Berayong Tengah.
A production facility was later established in Long Sukang, enabling collection, storage, roasting, and packaging to take place locally. This strengthened quality control while keeping more value within local hands.
Within this system, LINAWA’s product range centres on two core highland staples: Adan rice and Arabica coffee.
The Adan rice line comes in White, Red, and Black varieties, cultivated using pristine highland water sources that contribute to its distinctive aroma and texture. Each variety reflects subtle differences shaped by soil, altitude, and traditional knowledge.
One of LINAWA’s signature innovations is Adan Arabica coffee, a blend that combines Arabica beans with Adan rice, creating a product that carries both flavour depth and nutritional value, including dietary fibre and natural antioxidants.
As the brand grew, it began to gain recognition beyond the highlands, receiving an Outstanding Award and a Silver Award at the Malaysia Technology Expo Sustainable Energy and Green Technology International Innovation Awards.
Another milestone came with halal certification for both Adan rice and Arabica coffee product lines. This achievement strengthens its position in the market and allows the brand to expand beyond online channels into wider retail distribution, including hypermarkets across Sabah and Sarawak.
For the community, these milestones represent more than commercial success. They reflect growing recognition that highland produce can meet modern standards while remaining rooted in tradition.
From growth to transition
As the years passed, Koperasi Usahasama Long Sukang Lawas Berhad has grown into a structured organisation with 30 members working collectively to support farmers and manage LINAWA.
Recent data from the Department of Agriculture, Lawas District, show that as of 2026, there are 94 farmers in Long Sukang managing over 28 hectares of farmland, with coffee cultivation increasing significantly since the programme’s establishment.
“Compared to the period before 2021, the number of coffee trees planted has increased tenfold. Previously, there were only about 700 coffee trees in the area, whereas this year the number has grown to 7,230 trees,” Shalby said.
“This reflects a meaningful milestone in strengthening local livelihoods and advancing community development in the highlands. It also demonstrates PETRONAS’ commitment to supporting rural communities through sustainable economic opportunities and efforts to strengthen local skills and capabilities,” he added.
Meanwhile, Sulaiman described the shift simply.
“The TULiP project brings many benefits to the community. We truly appreciate PETRONAS’ support, as more farmers are now taking up coffee planting because they see its future potential. We are also grateful for the guidance along the way,” he added.
After five years of development, LINAWA has now been officially handed over to Koperasi Usahasama Long Sukang Lawas Berhad.
The transition marks the culmination of steady collaboration and shared learning, with progress built step by step through training, experimentation, and close engagement with the community.
LINAWA today stands as a reflection of that process.
A brand formed by products and by people who learned, adapted, and created something together over the years.
For PETRONAS, this reflects a long-term commitment to walk alongside the community until they were ready to stand on their own.
With LINAWA now under the stewardship of Koperasi Usahasama Long Sukang Lawas Berhad, PETRONAS closes this chapter with a quiet sense of fulfilment.
This is not an ending marked by loss, but a quiet transfer of responsibility, like mist lifting from the valleys at dawn, revealing the highlands steady and self-sustaining beneath the clouds. — DayakDaily
