Baru said Sarawak has huge potential in agriculture sector ready to be tapped, especially in the highlands. – File photo
LAWAS (June 15): The Lun Bawang community, in particular women, have been called to fully utilise their vast idle lands for commercial farming and livestock breeding to cope with the rising cost of living.
Selangau Member of Parliament Baru Bian pointed out that Sarawak has huge potential in agriculture sector ready to be tapped, especially in the highlands.
“With the availability of our vast Native Customary Rights (NCR) lands and with the pending uncertainty in the economic state of our nation, we all must seriously go back to our roots, our villages to farm our customary lands and live off our lands.
“Don’t wait for the men to initiate it and do not wait for the government to give you subsidies,” he said when officiating at Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) Ba Kelalan dinner in conjunction with Women’s Day at a leading hotel here last Saturday.
Baru added that the lands in Lawas, Trusan, Long Sukang, Long Luping, Long Semadoh and Ba Kelalan are the most fertile in Sarawak where agricultural activities should not be a problem considering that all the Lun Bawangs are experienced farmers.
“I read a report from the Sarawak State Agriculture Department years ago where they said that the most fertile land in Sarawak is at Ruan Semadoh, probably the reason why the government had established an Agricultural Station at Long Semadoh in the 1960s,” he said.
Baru also called on the Lun Bawang to be wise and smart in choosing agricultural products that they should be working on.
Not only that, he added, the people must also know how to make their products special and different from the rest of the country.
“I think one way of making the difference is to go for natural and organic farming. When we go natural and organic, the world is our market.
“The world is very conscious of healthy lifestyle and healthy food nowadays. Thus the prices are no more an issue as people want healthy and quality living which money cannot buy,” he said.
On the construction of the Sabah-Sarawak Link Road (SSLR), Baru said he was excited with what has been happening here.
He noted that the SSLR had just started and that the state government has prioritised the construction of the road from Long Luping junction to Ba Kelalan, up until Long Bawan in Indonesia.
“Reason being, because Nusantara the capital of Indonesia is to be moved to Kalimantan. Upon completion of this road, Kalimantan, Sarawak, Brunei and Sabah will be connected.
“During my tenure as the Works Minister, we planned what we called the Trans-Borneo Highway linking these four territories but with an additional route from Lg Semadoh to Lg Pa Sia then to Tawau, Semengaris, Melinau, Lg Bawan and back to Buduk Nur, which means that we are now connected with Kota Kinabalu,” he added.
He pointed out that unlike Kuching, Sibu or Miri Airport, Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) is accessible to the world, which will give advantage to the people, especially in the northern region to market their goods or products to the rest of the world.
On the Women’s Day celebration, Baru acknowledged the role played by women that has changed throughout the years.
Traditionally, he said the Lun Bawang women are expected to stay home, cook, look after the babies, while men are supposed to become the breadwinner for the family.
“The world is changing and so is the role of women in our society.
“Today we have woman presidents, prime ministers, cabinet members as well as chief executive officers (CEOs) of big corporations. And of course, our own Persatuan Lun Bawang Sarawak (PLBS) president who is a woman,” he said.
PLBS in March this year elected Dolphina Alau Balang as the association’s new president.
Among those present at the dinner were organising chairlady Magrit Baru and Dolphina.
from Borneo Post Online https://bit.ly/3b3c5T7
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