Delay in completing irrigation system spells doom for Bario rice farmers

http://www.theborneopost.com/2013/10/04/delay-in-completing-irrigation-system-spells-doom-for-bario-rice-farmers/

Posted on October 4, 2013, Friday

KUCHING: The harvest of Sarawak’s premium Bario rice, rated as the best in the region and rich in minerals and vitamins, is expected to be poor this year.

This was expressed by Rurum Kelabit Sarawak vice president Dr Roland Mattu on his return from a recent visit home in Bario.

He said this was because there is no irrigation for the padi field and farmers are relying on rain water only, but with very little rain in the last month of September.

He pointed out the problem came after an agricultural development contractor was given the contract by the government to provide for irrigation.

This resulted in the traditional farm dams being abandoned in anticipation of the new pipe irrigation under construction. Unfortunately, technical problems arose and as yet there is no irrigation which means the lack of running water and this is going to lead to a poor harvest, he lamented.

“I have been following the farming for many decades as my parent have been farmers, I have never been more concerned about a seasonal failure than this year.

“Many of the farms that have not been planted and those planted are without water and all are doomed to failure. There is urgent need for action and farmers are at a loss as where to turn. There is a chance of salvaging some of the farms but this will need immediate action to get water onto the paddy field in Paramapuh, Maraiw, Arur Laab, and Arur Dalan,” he said yesterday.

He also said he has met Pemanca Philip Lakai who has highlighted the problem to the authority concerned but who also now feels helpless.

“One of the most important part of Bario Rice cultivation is to have abundant fresh water from the mountain (flow) into the bunds especially after the planting season (but) as this is not happening, the planted fields for harvest is doomed to fail.

“There is an urgent need for corrective action and on behalf of all of the farmers in Bario. As vice president of Rurum Kelabit Sarawak, I appeal to all concerned for your help,” he pleaded.

On behalf of the Bario Asal farmers, he said they are all looking forward for the new irrigation and mechanised farming as the way forward but the delay is making them very anxious.

“Our ancestors have been cultivating wet padi for generations, surely some of what we have been practising is of great value rather than a revolution with modern methods.

“There should be a careful conservation of our farming methods that are good and merge with modern methods to take it to greater heights. The irrigation may take another year to complete and we cannot afford to have poor harvest two years in a row,” he said.

Based on news reports, RM17 million was allocated for the Bario Rice Industry Development Project under the National Key Result Areas (NKRA) in January 2012.

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu was quoted as saying the implementation of the project, between 2011 and 2015, involving 800 hectares of highland in the Bario area, had been offered to Syarikat Bario Ceria Sdn Bhd.

Don: Rural folk want map to determine land ownership

http://www.theborneopost.com/2013/09/25/don-rural-folk-want-map-to-determine-land-ownership/#ixzz2ftFwDR60

by Eve Sonary Heng, reporters@theborneopost.com. 

Posted on September 25, 2013, Wednesday

UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE: Sean Chai of Santumn Enterprise with the helicopter.

INNOVATIVE ICT APPLICATION: A Ba Kelalan photo-montage map.

LOW-COST: Unimas campus trials with the helium-filled balloon.

KUCHING: Rural communities are showing increasing interest in grassroots initiatives to develop maps of their territories.

In a statement yesterday, a visiting professor from the Institute for Social Informatics and Technological Innovation at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) Dr Roger Harris said in a recent Global Conference on Community Participatory Mapping on Indigenous Peoples’ Territories held in Samosir, North Sumatra, indigenous groups from countries including Malaysia, Nepal, Panama, Mexico and Brazil, explained how they had adopted affordable, high-tech mapping technology to retrace the history of their land ownership and to catalogue their natural resources.

He said in Sarawak, eBario Sdn Bhd, the organisation that operates the multi-award-winning eBario telecentre, has initiated the eBario Innovation Village Project as a living laboratory to incubate innovative grassroots applications of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) capable of stimulating development within Malaysia’s isolated rural and indigenous communities.

In partnership with Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) and with funding support from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the project is testing low cost aerial photography for community mapping, using digital cameras attached to tethered helium-filled balloons and radio-controlled model airplanes.

“The resultant photographs are stitched together by computer to form an aerial view covering a wide area which is then geo-tagged with global positioning co-ordinates to form detailed maps.

“Such maps can be used for a range of applications including land-use planning, claims for land rights, eco-tourism, development of agriculture, hydrology, animal migration plotting, indigenous knowledge inventories, environmental surveillance, documentation of climate change impacts, dispute resolution, road mapping, forest management and cataloguing of cultural sites. Low cost technologies and the skills to use them bring these applications within the reach of grassroots communities,” he said.

The eBario-Unimas team is working with Sean Chai Ching Loong of Santumn Enterprise, a local firm that specialises in aerial photography with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

Using both helium-filled balloons and UAVs, the team has begun to generate high-quality photo-montages that form the basis of detailed maps.

This month, the team visited Ba Kelalan in the highlands of northern Sarawak to test their approach in the field.

Community representatives expressed their interest in the results and have asked the team to return to extend their coverage into surrounding areas.

“Detailed maps are generally not available to the general public, or they are either prohibitively expensive or insufficiently detailed for the purposes that rural communities would wish to use them.

“Modern maps are based on aerial photographs but with low cost technologies and contemporary computer software, rural folk need not be excluded from their use. Actually, aerial photographs provide a truer representation of reality than even the most detailed maps,” he explained.

As more ICTs become available to Malaysia’s rural communities, and especially to those in isolated and remote locations, as with the eBario initiative and its sister projects in Ba Kelalan and other locations, so the residents can be facilitated towards more activities which they themselves prioritise and which cater to their specific needs.

Sarawak pays price of 'third world maintenance'

http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/242094

25.09.13

By Dukau Papau

Several water treatment plants and windmills in rural Sarawak are “not functioning”, according to state PKR head Baru Bian, who wants the government and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to step in.

The projects, which have cost millions of ringgit to build, install and operate, are under the Rural and Regional Development Ministry.

Bian cited the example of a water treatment plant in his constituency of Ba’Kelalan in Lawas, which had cost the government more than RM3 million to build.

“The plant is (meant) to pump water from Sungai Muda into tanks where it is then filtered to supply clean water to the Budur Nur village of more than 70 households. But untreated and murky water has (been) supplied to the households.

“Now there is no money to buy diesel - costing about RM1,000 a month - to run the plant, which is not maintained at all. I’m told there are a few of these in Sarawak, and there are similar problems at each.”

Bian also highlighted the case of windmills, including three in Bario, which are not working and therefore unable to generate electricity for villages.

“Each windmill is worth RM6 million. Imagine, these were constructed at the foot of a hill where there is no wind ... one has (even toppled over),” he said, noting that windmills in other countries are either located on a hilltop or in an open area.

“The construction of (all) these projects (in Sarawak) is a clear waste of public funds. The amount spent could well run over RM100 million.

“This money should have been used to repair schools or teachers’ quarters in my constituency that are badly in need of repair.

“In one primary school in my constituency, the teachers and parents came up with their own money to repair the teachers’ quarters, as their request for funds was not met.”

Bian said he believes the projects were implemented to pacify the rakyat who have been angry that they have been neglected.

“This tactic was done during election time,” he said, accusing the BN government of wasting public funds as well as “cheating the people”.

Curtin, eBario, association ink MoU

http://www.theborneopost.com/2013/09/07/curtin-ebario-association-ink-mou/

Posted on September 7, 2013, Saturday

MIRI: Curtin Sarawak is extending its expertise in the development of student learning activities, training, research and collaborative projects with eBario Sendirian Berhad and Rurum Kelabit Sarawak.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the project was signed recently between eBario chief executive officer Councillor John Tarawe, Laila Raja for Rurum Kelabit and outgoing Curtin Sarawak pro vice-chancellor Professor Ian Kerr.

Present to witness the signing were incoming pro vice-chancellor Professor Jim Mienczakowski, Curtin Sarawak Research Institute (CSRI) director Professor Aaron Goh, CSRI senior research fellow Dr Lisa Marie King and Supang Terawe of Rurum Kelabit Sarawak.

Mienczakowski said the MoU marked an important milestone for Curtin Sarawak and demonstrated its commitment to engage with local communities in its pursuit of academic excellence.

King, who was instrumental in establishing the cooperative relationship between the different parties, echoed Mienczakowki’s sentiments.

“As a member of CSRI, I am keen to apply my knowledge and expertise to enhance the well-being of communities in Sarawak. Our close engagement with eBario and Rurum Kelabit Sarawak will lead to significant activities and joint projects that can have a positive impact, both on the university’s learning experiences and the communities,” she said.

eBario Sdn Bhd is an award-winning initiative that runs projects and activities such as the eBario Telecentre, eBario Innovation Village, Radio Bario, eBario Knowledge Fair, Bario Slow Food Festival and eBorneo Research.

Remote communities now into high-yielding rubber planting

http://www.theborneopost.com/2013/08/16/remote-communities-now-into-high-yielding-rubber-planting/

by Karen Bong, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on August 16, 2013, Friday

KUCHING: The Penan and Kelabit communities in the most remote settlements in Baram have already started with the planting of high-yielding rubber.

This was disclosed by Modernisation of Agriculture Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr Alfred Jabu yesterday, who also said a total of 72 Penan families in Long Beruang and 60 Kelabit families in Long Peluan participated in the scheme on 520 hectares of land. Jabu, who is also Rural Development Minister, pointed out that the project is part of the state government’s Rural Transformation Programme to eradicate poverty.

“The government’s aim is to help lift people out of poverty, especially those in the remotest interior of Sarawak, through agriculture,” he added.

Jabu was at the Kuching Borneo Convention Centre (BCCK) here to open the Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (Salcra) Farm Development Committee Members Seminar.

“Backed by biotechnology advancement, we have now started planting the high quality rubber trees,” he said.

“We hope that the participants can generate sustainable income through the rubber plantation after four years (maturity). It is hoped that they can earn at least RM2,000 per month per family once the rubber trees reach maturity for tapping,” he emphasised. The project, introduced early last year, was launched by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

The first phase of the project involved the clearing of land, building of infrastructure such as road to the estate and nursery for rubber saplings, followed by planting.

As rural development minister, Jabu said he would not be deterred by the unique challenges and difficulties faced in the rural interiors.

“Understandably, Baram located about 15 hours drive from Miri in good weather, is hardly accessible but despite the difficulties, I still choose to start the project,” he said. Thus, Jabu hopes that the participants can see the fruits of their hard work after four or five years and in turn change their negative perception of the Barisan Nasional (BN) government.

“We hope to give the opportunities to the nomadic Penans, especially those who have been negatively influenced by certain non-governmental organisations (NGOs), to see the commitment of the BN government,” he said.

Proposed township to benefit Telang Usan — Rep

http://www.theborneopost.com/2013/08/15/proposed-township-to-benefit-telang-usan-rep/

Posted on August 15, 2013, Thursday

MIRI: The proposed Baram Hydroelectric Project (HEP) new township will bring many benefits to the Telang Usan constituency such as increasing the people’s standard of living.

Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau told The Borneo Post yesterday that the plan showed the government’s willingness and effort to develop and transform Baram into a better and more developed constituency by 2020.

“Personally, I agree with the proposal to turn this constituency into a modern one, while still reflecting the culture and traditions of the multi-ethnic people living in Baram.

“The people must understand that the proposed Telang Usan new township will also become a boost for tourism that surely will improve the livelihoods of the people in Baram,” he said.

Dennis pointed out that many members of the Orang Ulu community from Ulu Baram have achieved success in life, but did not return to the longhouses and contribute to the community.

“If this Telang Usan new township is built one day, it will also open many doors for job opportunities for these young people to go back to their roots and contribute something to the people and our country’s economic growth,” he said.

He urged Baram folk, especially the younger generation, to look at the positive side of the proposal which would benefit them and their families.

“Many opportunities will be given to them, especially job opportunities such as in the tourism industry,” he added.

On Tuesday, Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud said the proposed township would have elements reflecting the rich history of the Kayans, Kenyahs and Kelabits, who migrated from East Java to Batang Kayan in Indonesia before settling in Kapit and Baram.

Association receives funds in memory of Ngimat Ayu

http://www.theborneopost.com/2013/07/25/association-receives-funds-in-memory-of-ngimat-ayu/

Posted on July 25, 2013, Thursday

THANK YOU: Association representative Jacqueline Buri (back fifth right) receives the donation from Ngimat’s youngest daughter Nancy Daun in the presence of family members.

MIRI: The Miri Palliative Care Association received RM2,000 donation from the family of the late Kelabit paramount chief Ngimat Ayu recently.

His daughter Enne said the family will also donate all profits from sales of the book ‘A Tribute to a Kelabit Paramount Chief’ as a sign of appreciation for the association.

“The people from the Miri Palliative Care Association visited our family, particularly my late father, once every two weeks after he became very sick last February.

“We were so thankful to the association for helping us to go through the moment where they taught us more on how to care for our father,” she said.

Enne explained that Ngimat was diagnosed with cancer about three years ago and the family had been terrified when they first heard the news.

“Apart from our own family, friends and relatives, we have the people from the association visiting us and giving us the moral support we needed,” she said.

She urged those who wished to help those in need, especially cancer patients, to become association members or volunteers, adding she will also register as a volunteer.

“I was driven to become a volunteer because I have seen how they cared for my late father. He was well-taken care of and why not I do something for other people as well, especially for cancer patients,” she said.