Commitment is key, agriculture scheme participants told
LONG LAMA, Baram: Participants of various agriculture schemes or assistance in rural areas must give their full commitment to realise the Sarawak government’s vision of creating high-income communities through modern agriculture, said Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau.
He said although various agriculture schemes have been rolled out by the federal and state governments over the past decades, lack of commitment by some participants has seen them fail in their endeavours.
“History has shown us how some scheme participants emerged as champions and became successful, while others failed. One of the reasons known is the lack of commitment or focus by the scheme participants. We must learn from that and change for the better,” he told an audience when closing a oneday durian tree rehabilitation programme, here recently.
Over 150 participants and durian tree owners from various villages and longhouses throughout Telang Usan constituency, including Long Kesseh, Long Nahah, Long Batan, Long Nuah, Long Puah, Long Bedian and Long Lama, took part in the programme where they were trained by experts on the process of rehabilitating their grown durian trees to bear more fruits.
It was the second year running that the programme was held in Telang Usan.
He pointed out that there is a need for people in the rural areas to change and adapt to become a more progressivethinking community, including changing the way they do things to go beyond the survival of their jobs and immediate financial security.
“There is a bigger picture. We need to change and adapt to modern happenings because the future of our children is at stake.
“We must successfully lay the pillars and foundation of our family economy. It must be an economy where our future generations can thrive and effectively compete with their urban peers of the world around them,” he stressed.
Dennis also disclosed that many have been requesting the authorities for more ‘ambitious’ agriculture schemes or projects, but suggested that participants take things one step at a time.
“I would suggest that we start small-scale and move up slowly. Your commitment to follow through with projects given to you will ensure programmes introduced and rolled out for our community by the Ministry of Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development become successful.”
He pointed out that Telang Usan holds great potential in the durian industry, adding he was glad that the Agriculture Department has taken advantage of the huge number of durian trees in the constituency to meet the huge world demand for durians and its by-products.
“This will become the catalyst for change especially for the rural farming community here to uplift their economic standing,” he said.
He also conveyed his gratitude to Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah, who is Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development, for approving the building of a collection, processing and packaging centre at Long Lama Rural Growth Centre, to purchase and process durians and other agriculture produce.
“This will bring a huge boost to the local economy in times to come, as the centre will help durian fruit owners to sell their produce. It is also in tandem with the state government’s vision in turning the famous ‘Long Lama Durian’ into a steady source of income for us in Telang Usan,” he added. KUCHING: The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Sarawak Subsection’s humanitarian technology team recently executed its ‘Alternative Lighting Project (ALP) 2’, known as ‘ Free Energy: Calories for Electricity’ at SK Salak here.
The team was co-led by Dr Then Yi Lung, the chair for humanitarian technology activities of IEEE Sarawak Subsection, and Dr Tay Fei Siang, who deployed and installed streetlights to light up the school compound at night using free energy powered by a rechargeable generator using a bicycle at the school’s resource centre.
“The main purpose of this project is to generate clean and sustainable energy while engaging students of SK Salak through exercise,” Then explained in a press statement issued yesterday.
He said the proposed mechanism is to harvest electricity using the pedal power from the bicycle and perform energy conversion from kinetic to electrical energy by using the alternator installed on the bicycle.
“The students at SK Salak can then cycle during exercising activity while at the same time charge the battery to supply electricity to the lighting during nights,” he added.
The ALP is in line with the Sustainable Development Goals initiated by the United Nations to provide quality education and affordable and clean energy.
“Now the students will be able to have better learning environment, knowledge and skills about generating renewable energy by using pedal power from the bicycles,” said Then.
This is also an attempt and initiative to promote clean and renewable energy among rural communities and educate students in a more physical and practical way, particularly in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education in conjunction with Sarawak’s STEM initiative in tertiary education, he pointed out.
For more information and past related ALP activities, visit the IEEE Sarawak Subsection website at http://sarawak. ieeemy.org.
History has shown us how some scheme participants emerged as champions and became successful, while others failed. One of the reasons known is the lack of commitment or focus by the scheme participants.
Dennis Ngau