Serve effectively and with integrity, Uggah tells ministry staff

KUCHING: Staff of the Ministry of Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development ( Manred) are told to shoulder the great responsibility of serving the rakyat effectively and with integrity.

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, who is also Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development, reminded staff of Manred as well as those from the departments and agencies under the ministry that they were hired for a purpose - to serve the state and its people.

Uggah said the ministry had identified its plans and direction and ways to manage its resources to achieve its goal which they now need to put to work, and implement these plans effectively and timely.

“Ladies and gentlemen, fellow colleagues, you are all here today because you are all the ‘implementers’ of these plans.

“The rakyat rely on you to deliver and translate these plans on the ground, and to use these resources (extraordinary budget) effectively and efficiently and most importantly with integrity,” he said in his keynote address at Agriculture 2019 programme here yesterday.

About 415 staff of Manred as well as departments and agencies under the ministry were present.

Uggah reminded that before everyone sets out to serve, they need to revaluate and recognise their goals and purpose in life, and to find purpose, one needs to have goals.

“We are all very fortunate to be here today, under a strong mandate given to us and trust and support given to us by the Gabungan Parti Sarawak ( GPS) government led by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg, who has entrusted us with a large budget to serve the rakyat better,” he said.

Uggah cautioned that all staff of Manred and those serving in departments and agencies under the ministry need to avoid the temptation to enrich oneself and avoid any personal interest and practise the ‘ honour to serve’ motto, and to serve with integrity, accountability and most importantly to feel proud to be serving the people of Sarawak.

He noted that it is their duty to take up this responsibility to ensure that the people of Sarawak will prosper.

The state government has allocated RM450.2 million under Budget 2019 for agriculture, an increase of RM227 million or 101 per cent increase from the amount allocated in 2018.

Uggah said the extraordinary budget for 2019 is funded through a five per cent petroleum sales tax which the state government introduced this month.

He said out of the RM450.2 million allocated for agriculture, RM286.9 million will be channelled through the ministry while the rest are allocated to other ministries and statutory bodies.

He noted that the fund channelled to the ministry will be used to finance the various agriculture transformation initiatives, including Agriculture Venture Capital, AgroPark, Project Rakyat and Socio-Economic Transformation KRA 2 projects.

“The fund will also be used for implementing the regular 11th Malaysia Plan programmes and projects.

Funds that are channelled direct to other agencies include that for NCR land survey and for Digital Agriculture.

“An additional RM100 million is also available this year upon request for the Agriculture Facilitation Programme (AFP),” he said.