A total of 52 companies have expressed interest in participating in Sarawak’s new commercial paddy development initiative under the Design, Build, Operate and Transfer (DBOT) model, with selected firms expected to be appointed by the end of 2026.
Minister of Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development Datuk Seri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom said the implementation would be carried out through a Request for Proposal (RFP) procurement process involving technical and financial evaluations before final approval by the State Cabinet.
“The process will involve proposal submission by potential investors, evaluation by the Technical and Financial Evaluation Committee, endorsement by the State Cost Committee, and approval by MMKN,” he said during his ministerial winding-up speech at the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly sitting today (May 19).
Additionally, he said the DBOT model was recently approved by the State Cabinet during their meeting in April as part of a new approach to address long-standing challenges in paddy cultivation and accelerate commercial rice development in the state.
“To address the challenges facing paddy cultivation, Sarawak will embark on a new development approach through the implementation of the DBOT model for commercial paddy development.
“The model is designed to attract the participation of the private sector to ensure faster project completion, while maintaining high standards of quality and integrity,” he said.
According to him, the framework would reduce upfront infrastructure risks for investors while imposing clear performance obligations.
“The DBOT model provides a commercially attractive structure by reducing upfront infrastructure risk for investors while imposing clear performance obligations.
“This enables the private sector to focus on efficient farm operations, mechanisation, and productivity enhancement,” he said.
