KOTA KINABALU: Sabah has kicked off its month-long Pesta Kaamatan celebrations with the state government focusing on food security and self-sufficiency.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said Sabah allocated RM559.85mil under the Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry Ministry this year to enhance food security and the state self-sufficiency ratio (SSR).
He said the government aims to ensure food security by establishing the Sabah Padi and Rice Board, and developing padi fields across the state.
This included districts like Membakut, Beaufort and Kuala Penyu, he added.
“In line with the spirit of Pesta Kaamatan, which values harvest, the agriculture sector remains one of the three main pillars driving the state’s economic growth under the Sabah Maju Jaya 2.0 Development Plan (SMJ 2.0).
“This reflects the state government’s commitment to ensuring strong food security, especially amid current global economic and geopolitical uncertainties,” he said yesterday at the launch of the state-level Pesta Kaamatan in Papar, about 40km from here.
The Chief Minister also encouraged the public to support local products, particularly Sabah’s own agricultural produce, as a step to strengthen the domestic economy.
“The progress we enjoy today would be meaningless without the unity and strong cooperation among the people of various races and religions in this state.
“I call on all Sabahans to continue working hand in hand with the government in realising every agenda, especially the Sabah Maju Jaya 2.0 direction,” he said.
Hajiji said the government will continue to implement various initiatives to improve the people’s standard of living and socio-economic status, including continuing existing aid in education, human capital and public well-being.
The state government, he said, remains committed to ensuring inclusive and balanced development throughout Sabah so that every segment of society can enjoy the prosperity achieved.
“We can see for ourselves in Papar that the district has undergone encouraging changes with several infrastructure and commercial development projects that have been and are actively being implemented, including in Benoni and the surrounding areas of Kinarut,” he said.
Once the Pan Borneo Highway project is fully completed, he said Papar will also have great potential to emerge as a major stopover destination for visitors from Brunei and Sarawak.
With facilities such as the Borneo Cultural Village and the Sabah Native Customary School, Papar has the potential to become a progressive and competitive district, he said.
He said the choice of Papar as the host for this year’s Pesta Kaamatan launch is fitting, as it is known as one of the areas in Sabah that has fertile rice fields.
“The Papar district is not only rich in produce, but also rich in cultural values, with its multi-ethnic population living in peace and harmony,” he said.
“This is the true reflection of the Sabah we are proud of.”
