FOR YOU: Gramong presenting a dividend to Ronnie Tutong (far right) who received the highest payment.


OVER TO YOU: Lawrence (second right) receiving the mock cheque from Gramong (fourth left) as others look on.


HOW ARE YOU?: Gramong (right) exchanging greetings with a recipient upon his arrival.


RIGHT HERE: The recipients reporting to a plantation staff after receiving their dividends.


ALL EARS: The recipients listening to a speech by Gramong.

23/05/2013 (Borneo Post) -  Assistant Minister of Land Development Datuk Gramong Juna condemned the illegal harvesting of mature oil palm fruits in plantations here under a joint-venture project.

He said such an irresponsible act has caused the project participants – particularly the land owners – 0to receive low dividends due to reduced collection of fresh fruit bunches.

“The act by a small number of individuals is rampant. I am worried if nothing is done to stop them, this will lead to the closure of the plantations.

“If that happens, it will be a loss to the people,” he said when officiating at the presentation of Native Customary Rights (NCR) land development scheme dividends by Boustead Pelita Kanowit Plantation Sdn Bhd at the indoor stadium here yesterday.

Gramong, who is Machan assemblyman, said the illegal activity saddened him because he was hopeful that such a project would boost Kanowit’s economy when it started in 1996.

He advised the project participants to cooperate with the relevant authorities to prevent the illegal activity.

Appealing for such illegal harvesting to stop, he said: “Please think carefully whether you want the plantations to close or you want to continue to make your land a gold mine.”

Later at the function, he presented a mock cheque totalling RM8.481 million in dividends to Block D Area Development Committee chairman Lawrence Malaka who represented a total of 1,848 project participants.

He said this year’s dividend was the highest where land owners were paid RM750 per hectare of oil palm cultivated land.

He said a total of RM22 million in dividends had been paid to project participants so far.

Among those present were Boustead Holdings human resource director Shuib Abdullah, Land Custody and Development Authority (LCDA) representative Razali Zainuddin and SAO Jabang Juntan.