MELUAN assemblyman Rolland Duat Jubin has proposed the establishment of a Projek Ladang Rakyat under the Sarawak government, aiming to transform Native Customary Rights (NCR) land into productive commercial farms for smallholders.
Duat outlined a bold plan for the government, through state statutory bodies such as LCDA Agribusiness, Sarawak Rubber Industry Board (SARIB), and the Sarawak State Farmer Organisation (PPNS), to develop smallholders・ land with commercial crops.
He said the government would manage these farms and maintain them until they reached maturity and started bearing fruit, before handing them back to the smallholders.
“After that, once the crops bear fruit, the land will be handed over to the smallholders. We can set a limit of no more than five hectares per participant, with a minimum of 500 hectares per cluster.
“We can also introduce a similar programme for individuals owning more than five hectares, but funded through soft loans from the government or special financing through the Development Bank of Sarawak (DBOS) or via commercial partnerships with AFFIN Bank,” he said.
He was debating in support of the motion of appreciation to the Head of State Tun Pehin Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar’s speech in the august house on Thursday (May 22).
He said that to ensure the produce is bought at a fair price, the programme must be implemented by state statutory bodies and include a Purchase Agreement from the start.
“It would then be the responsibility of the statutory body to commercially market the produce,” he said.
Highlighting the economic potential of Meluan, he described the constituency as strategically located and capable of becoming a Food Basket for central Sarawak.
He pointed to the area’s growing production of Sarawak pepper, expanding smallholder oil palm plantations, and its role as a supplier of vegetables to Sarikei and Sibu, particularly through the Sibu Jaya market.
He also renewed his call for a RM10 million allocation for farm road development in key agricultural areas such as Lasi, Serau, and Hulu Sungai Serusa/Bejawai.
“Many smallholders struggle to build and maintain roads that are essential for both farming and community connectivity,” he said.
On another matter, he proposed the creation of a Sarawak version of Singapore痴 SkillsFuture, offering credits for short-term online professional courses via platforms like Coursera and Udemy.
This, he said, would help upskill the rural workforce in critical areas such as coding and digital project management.
“Education and skill development must evolve with time. The global economy is changing, and we need to prepare our people to stay competitive,” he added.
Duat also welcomed the recent announcement by Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg to sponsor higher education for all Sarawakian workers and called for more flexibility for part-time learners juggling work commitments.
