Taib (right) hands over his resignation letter toYang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Abang Muhammad Salahuddin Abang Barieng.
KUCHING: Rural development, to bring about greater equality in the progress of all races, will continue to become the emphasis of development in the state, says Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud.
Taib, who handed in his resignation to the Head of State yesterday, pointed out that the rural areas were still lagging behind the urban areas in terms of development, and there was a need to put greater focus on rural progress to ensure that all races enjoy parity in development.
In order to achieve this goal, he pointed to the need for natives to convert their lands into native estates in partnership with non-natives to generate better incomes instead of leaving them idle.
Touching on the native estate scheme, Taib said it would give full value to the native lands through non-native capital, and assured that such venture would be supervised closely by the Land Consolidation Development Authority (LCDA).
“The state will oversee that the project is understood and explanation will be given to potential participants. The government will check from time to time, ensuring participants receive fair return of their share (of letting their land) after plantations reach full production,” he told a press conference at the Astana, after meeting the Head of State Tun Datuk Patinggi Abang Muhammad Salahuddin.
Despite the many misunderstandings created by certain groups to make the native estate concept look like an exploitation, Taib explained that the Land Development Ministry was aware that native landowners would reap good economic returns from leasing their lands for 60 years.
“This is the best way to make natives appreciate the potential of their own land and get fair term whenever they negotiate for joint-venture. However, participation is up to the people themselves, the government can only bring about the partnership between natives and non-natives.
“It is up to the landowners. If 70 per cent of the landowners agree, we have to make sure that the scheme would go ahead and we will compensate the 30 per cent through negotiation.
“All complaints of being afraid to lose your land from joining supervised joint ventures are incorrect. This is something that will enable the natives and non-natives to come together and negotiate a term that will be fair to both sides,” he continued.
With the rural areas now under over two million ha of palm oil plantations, Taib believes that more positive impact would be felt within five to seven years when the plantations mature.
He said, by then, the landowners would be able to see the benefits of participating in such joint-ventures.
“We are encouraging participation because we want the natives to participate in the general working of the economy,” he added.