KUCHING: The Sarawak Rubber Industry Board (SARIB) will be established with the unanimous passing of the Sarawak Rubber Industry Board Bill, 2022 during the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting today.
The Bill, tabled by Modernisation of Agriculture and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom, was passed after the third reading. A total of 13 assemblypersons debated on the Bill.
When tabling the Bill, Dr Rundi said SARIB’s main purpose was to regulate and revitalise the rubber industry especially the smallholder sector after a prolonged decline in rubber production in the state, in order to increase domestic production and to reduce import of raw rubber material into the country.
He said with the establishment of SARIB, the channelling of development funds and the implementation of the rubber development projects would be more focused, effective, and efficient.
“The establishment and objectives of the board are to promote, facilitate, and develop the rubber industry in Sarawak; and to formulate strategic objectives, policies, and priorities for the orderly development and administration of the rubber industry in Sarawak,” he said.
He said the Bill would cover all activities in the upstream and downstream of the rubber industry, including the planting of rubber plants, production of rubber and hevea wood, processing and utilisation of rubber, manufacture of rubber products, and any related services.
“The Bill also covers all activities relating to sales, distribution, and manufacturing of glove, tires, and other products made of natural and/or synthetic rubber or both.
He said although export revenue of natural rubber had shown a declining trend from RM333.70 million in 2010 to RM63.29 million in 2020, the rubber commodity was still an important source of exchange earnings and revenues to the state as well as generating economic activities and income for smallholders.
He pointed out that rubber was one of the significant agriculture contributors to the state’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), especially with the production of Standard Malaysian Rubber (SMR) and Specialty Rubber (SR).
“The successful achievement of rubber production in Sarawak will be highly based on the new planting and replanting areas. The increase in areas of new planting and replanting is important in order to replace the old, uneconomical, and moribund rubber trees,” he said.
During the later winding-up of the Bill later on, Dr Rundi thanked DUN members for their support towards the Bill and expressed his appreciation for all suggestions and ideas presented.
“I am indeed touched by how sentimental rubber industry activities are to most of us in this august House, and I am no exception”.
