‘Revive padi cultivation on wetlands in Singai’
KUCHING: Former three-term Mas Gading MP Patrick Anek Uren strongly supports the call by Tasik Biru assemblyman Dato Henry Harry Jinep for the state government to revive padi cultivation on ‘paya’ or wetland.
He said the suggestion by Henry during his debate in the recentlyconcluded State Legislative Assembly sitting, is worthy of support by the people since wetland are found aplenty and in large tracts in Singai area in the Bau district.
He pointed out there are many plots of wetland within and in the immediate neighbourhood of the 10 villages in Singai namely Apar, Tabung, Sudoh, Tanjung, Senibung, Daun, Bobak Sinjanjang, Bobak Browing, Segong and Atas.
“I make this statement to support the call by Tasik Biru assemblyman in particular as I am very encouraged having seen our Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg going to Bau town several times, and each time he came with projects such as Buso — Musi Bridge and Tondong Bridge, and the proposed new District Office complex.
“And his frequent visit to Bau is a testimony of his concern for the people’s welfare.
“I hope this statement by me will get to the attention of our Chief Minister and he will be generous enough to spend state funds in reviving padi cultivation on those wetlands in Singai.
“All that is needed is some initial funding, maybe in the sum of RM10 million, which can be administered by some state authorities. The fund will be used for making roads and re- establishing water drainage system in these wetlands as and where they are necessary,” he said yesterday.
Anek, who was Tasik Biru assemblyman from 1979 to 1983, said the plots of wetland in Singai could easily measure up to a few hundreds of acres.
“These wetlands in past years were planted with padi every year without fail. The people of Singai had their own padi. Many small mills flourished to cater for the padi farmers to mill their padi into rice.
“The whole community depended on their own homegrown rice.
“Nowadays these wetlands which were the rice bowl of the people of Singai, are abandoned. And they have become overgrown with bushes and young trees,” he noted.
He also mentioned that in the old times, all these wetlands had good drainage system. Water from the streams that flow through them had been controlled to provide water to padi fields during dry season and to flow out to the main waterways or river below.
“All that has been led to waste. The waterways are clogged by debris and by trees and bushes. And during rainy days these wetlands are soggy and flooded as a result.
“In order to revive padi faming on these wetlands the state government must come in to help. And it is imperative on the part of the state government to come in to help the padi farmers to rework these wetlands so that these wetlands can again produce rice,” he said.
Anek also mentioned that padi cultivation on these wetlands not only can produce rice for self consumption of the local community but the excess supply can be sold to generate income for the farmers.
“Rice plantation on these wetlands can employ many people who are otherwise unemployed.
“There are many people unemployed in and around Singai, and their number has swelled due to the lack of employment opportunities in town caused by the slowdown in economy which is aggravated by rising inflation and low purchasing power of the currency as experienced by everybody and especially those living in the villages in Singai,” he said.