By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, March 19: The vast land bank available in our rural areas should be planted with staple food crops to meet food supply demand, said Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts (MTCP) Sarawak Deputy Minister Datuk Snowdan Lawan.
According to a press release, Snowdan emphasised that it aligns with Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg’s announcement that Sri Aman, particularly Gran, Stumbin, and Lingga, has been designated as a food producing division.
“Help the government to alleviate exports from other countries, like rice for example, which is our staple food.
“Be self-reliant and plant paddy on your own land. The government had been subsidising farmers on this but production has not been equal,” the minister said when officiating at the ‘Capacity Building For Grassroots Leaders Seminar For DUN N30 Balai Ringin, Pantu District 2024’ at Dewan Sri Pantu in Sri Aman today.
Furthermore, Snowdan, who is also Balai Ringin assemblyman, urged the Community Leaders and Village Chiefs (KMKK) to strengthen the management of their Village Development and Security Committee (JKKK).
“Perform your duties with integrity and transparency. JKKK and the district office should engage more often to monitor the activities and welfare of the village residents, especially drug threats,” he remarked.
Snowdan also stated that a larger seminar of this nature will be organised involving all JKKK, the secretary, treasurer, and Women’s Bureau.
“This is to further enhance their knowledge and the overall understanding in managing their JKKK. We are moving into the element of the corporate world.”
During the event, 49 village headmen and a chieftain received their letter of appointments from the minister.
Two briefings were conducted earlier, one by pharmacist Feneida Edward Gaung on Drugs and Prescription, and another one by Dorothy Jenny on ‘Tadbir Urus KMKK’.
Also present were deputy Resident Sri Aman, Charlie Keling, Pantu District Officer Langgong Lasam, and other community leaders. — DayakDaily
