KUCHING, June 21 2026: Agricultural assistance and subsidies provided by the government are not for individuals who are not actively involved in agricultural activities as it will affect the effectiveness of government assistance programmes, Deputy State Secretary Felicia Tan Ya Hua has warned.
She said the state government has received reports of such happening, especially in the rural areas.
“I am not sure whether this is still happening or not, in fact, before the aid reached the longhouses, there are distributors waiting to collect the fertiliser that has been sold to them.
“This matter needs to be seriously investigated because if it is still happening, I think the relevant parties need to look into this matter more deeply,” she said when speaking at the Sarawak Agriculture Department (DoA) gotong royong perdana 2026 and Sarawak Civil Service Environmental Standard (SACSES) launching ceremony yesterday.
She reminded that the selection process also needs to be readjusted so that only eligible beneficiaries can receive subsidies and equipment assistance according to established criteria and carry out their activities accordingly.
Felicia said agriculture assistance and subsidies are for the recipients who are truly eligible to avoid leakages and ensure that the benefits are enjoyed by the target group.
She also wanted monitoring and enforcement must be strengthened to ensure that assistance such as subsidies for fertilisers and agricultural equipment is not misused.
In another development, Felicia also stressed the importance of effective management of government assets including quarters, vehicles and agricultural machinery owned by DoA.
She said that assets that are no longer economical or have become obsolete need to be expedited for disposal through the ‘Board of Survey’ (BoS) procedure to avoid wasting space and maintain the image of the organization.
“Any assets that can still be used must be ensured to be in good condition, while assets that are no longer suitable for use need to be managed appropriately.
"If eligible to be disposed of through BoS, ensure that the process is expedited and not delayed because from the perspective of the organization's image, obsolete and idle assets not only detract from the view but also take up unnecessary space.
"If you have met the conditions for disposal, carry out the disposal process according to the procedures set by the Sarawak Financial Secretary's Office (SFS)," she explained.
In addition, Felicia stressed the importance of field visits among government officials to enable the people's issues to be identified and addressed more quickly and effectively.
According to her, the instruction is in line with the emphasis often given by the Sarawak State Secretary Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki for heads of departments and government officials to always approach the community and personally monitor the implementation of programs in the field.
She stressed that such proactive actions are important to ensure that government service delivery continues to be effective, thus reducing complaints and increasing the people's confidence in government administration.
Also present were the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Food Industry, Commodities and Regional Development Dr Sirai Daha and DoA director Dominic Chunggat.
