KOTA KINABALU – The state government should review the terms of a palm oil-linked poverty eradication programme in Kunak to ensure its participants receive incomes equitable with the commodity’s soaring prices, the constituency’s elected representative said today.
Norazlina Arif (Kunak-Warisan) said the monthly income of the Kg Sapang Mesej programme has remained static despite the current spike in palm oil prices.
“Why can’t a win-win formula be used so they can also enjoy a fair income when the prices are good?” Norazlina asked in her policy debate at the Sabah assembly today.
Palm oil prices spiked as a result of the war in Ukraine, which caused a plunge in global edible oil stocks and a decline in export surpluses, according to a Reuters report.
Crude palm oil prices settled at RM5,774 per tonne yesterday after hitting a high of RM7,074 on March 9, data from the Malaysian Palm Oil Council showed.
Norazlina said the Sabah government must ensure that its poverty eradication plans are implemented properly if it hopes to break out of being the poorest state in the country.
In 2020, Sabah’s incidence of absolute poverty was at 26.3% of the population, the worst rate in Malaysia, according to the Statistics Department.
Norazalina said the Sabah Land Development Board, which is in charge of the Kg Sapang Mesej programme, should be more transparent and share information on revenue collected from the smallholders’ yield.
“I also hope this data can be shared with me so I can assist the Mesej participants,” she said. – The Vibes, March 22, 2022
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