Sabah rubber sector set for revival

Symbolic start: Ahmad Zahid at the launch of the Pekebun Kecil Makmur programme in Tenom. — Bernama

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah’s rubber industry is set for a revival, with efforts to transform it from a “sunset industry” to a “sunrise sector” with solid plans under the Rural and Regional Development Ministry.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who also heads the ministry, said the initiative spearheaded by the Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (Risda) aims to modernise the industry by establishing high-tech rubber depots, promoting value-added production, and introducing advanced tapping techniques to boost smallholder incomes and secure the sector’s long-term viability.