‘Sundar-Awat Awat can tap into global halal market’
LAWAS: The Sundar-Awat Awat growth centre has the potential of tapping into the lucrative USD3 trillion Halal global market through the export of livestock, fish and fish products and other agriculture produce.
Second Minister of Resource Planning and Environment Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said this when officiating at the closing ceremony of the Armed Forces Mobile Youth Transformation Vocational Programme ( MYTV) at Sundar community hall yesterday.
“Imagine how much would it be if we can capture just one per cent of this market share, and Sundar-Awat Awat growth centre fits into the government’s plan to make it a production centre as agreed with Brunei,” Awang Tengah, who is also Minister of Industrial Development and Entrepreneurship, Trade and Investment, said.
He also said the government would be ramping up its services and infrastructure development for Sundar to make it a village growth centre while Lawas was expected to have a Centre of Technology ( Centech) to boost skills development for northern Sarawak.
He urged the local community to grab the economic opportunities by utilising their land and tapping into high technology and expertise from the Rimbunan Kaseh Sundar project apart from marketing their products.
The minister called on the company helming the Rimbunan Kaseh Sundar project to extend its services and expertise to the local community to assist them to increase the production of their products and in marketing.
He said the state economic transformation programme spearheaded by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem was aimed at narrowing the urban-rural gap in all fields.
Describing industrialisation and promotion of small and medium industries as the way forward, he called for a vibrant cottage industry in Lawas to further develop its unique products such as Tahai.
Eastern Region Command commander Lt General Datuk Mohd Zaki Mokhtar, in his speech, said the programme, organised under the Armed Forces National Blue Ocean Strategy, served as a platform for vocational and entrepreneurship training for rural youths.
He said a total of 749 youths had benefitted from the programme since 2015.
Fi r st Divi sion Infant ry commander Major General Datuk Stephen Mundaw and Lawas district officer Hussaini Hakim were among the dignitaries present.