Jabu asked to explain his failure to keep to his promises

KUCHING, Oct 9, 2014: Deputy Chief Minister Alfred Jabu Numpang has been asked to explain on his failure to keep to his promise of reviving all the 20 agriculture stations he made exactly four years ago.

Sarawak PKR chief Vernon Aji said Jabu was reported to have announced on Oct 7, 2010 that the State Cabinet had approved the revival of 20 agriculture stations throughout the state.

File picture: Jabu striking a gong at a Sarawak Farmers' Organisation annual dinner on Sept 29, 2011, during which he announced that all 46 agriculture station would be fully operational by 2012.

"We would like the Minister to reveal how many of these 20 stations he mentioned have actually been revived," Vernon said.

He added:" Exactly one year later, on Sept 30, 2011, it was reported that Jabu had wanted all 46 agriculture stations in the state to be active and fully operational by 2012.

"He was quoted as saying that the State Cabinet meeting had approved the allocation to upgrade another 28 stations and deploy more agriculture assistants to the interior areas. 

"We would like the minister to reveal how many of these 46 stations have actually been revived. We would also like him to provide the public a list of fully functioning agriculture stations since 2012 to date," he said.

"Then yesterday, Oct 8, 2014, exactly four years after his announcement on Oct 7, 2010 to revive 20 agriculture stations, Jabu was reported as saying that a total of 48 agriculture sub-stations will be established in the state, and they are expected to be fully completed by 2017. 

"He further said that six sub-stations this year alone are still in the implementation process and are expected to be fully completed by early 2016.

"However, he only named five instead of six - Song, Kapit, Betong, Pulau Bruit and Ulu Baram. We would like to ask him to clarify the difference between an Agriculture Station and an Agriculture Sub-Station, and to provide the public with a complete list of fully operational stations and sub-stations since his first announcement in 2010," Vernon said.

He said Jabu, who is also Minister of Rural Development, was reported to have said yesterday that the Budget 2015 would provide allocations for facilities to place agriculture officers in 10 sub-stations.

"Please can he inform the public exactly where the allocations for these stations and substations will come from – from State coffers or from Federal coffers since he had mentioned Budget 2015 in yesterday’s report while in 2010 and 2011 he had specifically mentioned that it was the State Cabinet that had approved the revival of these stations?

"The minister seemed to be contradicting himself and the public would like clarification," Vernon stressed.

He added Jabu had made specific promises to the people, especially those whom will benefit from these agriculture stations and sub-stations, and rural folk are really hoping that these stations and sub-stations will benefit them, in the light of a huge drop in the prices of rubber and palm oil.