Courtesy: Bernama


Salang's Kind Gesture Results In Futsal Court For Longhouse Folk

May 29, 2011

The government allocated RM150,000 for the construction of a futsal court-cum-multipurpose centre for people from 39 longhouses along the Kanowit-Julau-Durin Road near here, but the project could not take off because of the absence of a suitable site.

Deputy Information Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum has come to the rescue, allowing his roadside property to be borrowed for the project, Sarikei MP Ding Kwong Hing said on Sunday.

"Now that the site is available, the Ministry of Youth and Sports can proceed with calling for the tender for its construction," he told reporters after attending a pre-Gawai Dayak celebration at the farmhouse of leading Iban agro-entrepreneur Uchong anak Saiban, here.

Ding thanked Salang, who is Julau MP and whose constituency encompasses the area, for the offer of the land.

Salang, who was present at the event, launched a 40-hectare rubber estate belonging to Uchong who is developing it with financial assistance from the Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (Risda).

Speaking at a gathering later, Salang called on Iban farmers in the state with huge tracts of land to venture into modern commercial farming.

"You should try planting fruits, vegetables, rubber and oil palm. Rubber is fetching a very good price," he said, adding that maintenance of a rubber smallholding would be cheaper and easier than an oil palm plantation.

Owners with titles to their land could approach Risda while those without titles could approach the Federal Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (Felcra), he said.



Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com