SONG, May 9: Folks in rural Katibas have been urged to work on short and medium-term economic activities to improve their wellbeing.
Katibas state assemblyman Lidan Assan said they could not afford to wait for something big to come to them as the necessary infrastructure would need some time to be completed.
“In the meantime, cultivate something that is easy to manage on your easily accessible land so you can earn something.
“Leave out those lands which are hard to access, especially those located around high ravines. You can use those lands for an agricultural joint venture with any private sector that you trust in the future,” he said this when opening the Ulu Katibas Development Committee (JPUK) meeting here on Saturday.
The committee had requested for Lidam’s assistance in bringing development to their areas especially agricultural based economic activities that could help improve their socioeconomic status, apart from basic infrastructural development such as road access to five longhouses in the Upper Katibas River.
The Upper Katibas River is located under Ulu Rajang Development Agency (Urda) jurisdiction.
The Sarawak government had allocated RM1.5 billion for development projects under the 11th Malaysia Plan (11MP) and Premier of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg had announced last October that Urda would receive another RM1.5 billion under the 12MP.
As much as 10 per cent of the allocation would go to the socioeconomic development of the people especially in short and medium-term activities, so that the people need not wait long to increase their income.
“This is the focus of the government now and it is hoped that you all can come together and decide on the activities that you want to do in order to benefit from the allocation,” he said. — DayakDaily
