Gawai Over: Naroden (with cap) performing the ‘Ngiling Bidai’ (mat rolling to mark the end of Gawai celebration).

12/07/2012 (Borneo Post) - Simunjan assemblyman Datuk Mohd Naroden Majais said he was glad to see that the people in the constituency have accepted the oil palm plantation project in the area.

He said unlike in the past where the people had rejected the creation of an oil palm plantation in the area, it is now a totally different situation where the people are competing to plant the commodity.

The assistant minister in the chief minister’s department (Bumiputera Entrepreneur Development) said the people bombarded him from ‘left and right’ when he first started the project several years back.

“When I first started the project to open up land for the oil palm plantation, my intention was to open the mind of the people, but it was totally rejected.

“But now the people have realised its importance to their economy, and have thus opened their land to plant oil palm and are competing to do that,” he said.

He was speaking at the ‘Ngiling Tikai’ (Gawai closing ceremony) at Kampung Sg Paku, here recently.

Naroden, who is also Assistant Minister of Resource Planning said the people who had rejected the project at the initial stage, had regretted it after dividends were paid to the participants.

He added that many people have acknowledged that they are able to earn a more decent income from oil palm, compared to the past where the land was used only to plant tapioca and coconuts.

Naroden also urged the people in the area to prepare themselves and benefit from the good communication network in area.

He said Simunjan already has good road communication and the people must be prepared to change, adding that being a minister for Bumiputera entrepreneur development, he was prepared to provide courses for cottage industries in the villages.

“With a good road network, it will be easier for the people to market their products and in view of this the people must be prepared to improve their standard of living,” he said.

He also urged the people to remain united and cooperate with the government to enable smooth implementation of various projects that were being planned.