Rayong (standing front, seventh right) joins others in showing thumbs-up to the camera.

LUBOK ANTU: Engkilili assemblyman Dr Johnichal Rayong Ngipa on Sunday presented 122 cheques totalling RM712,911 to 79 landowners as compensation for their land affected by Phase II of Ulu Skrang Road project.

The ceremony, hosted Sri Aman Division Land and Survey Department, took place at Skrang Scheme community hall, and was attended by Land and Survey Sri Aman superintendent Doris Synia.

In her address, Doris said the 79 landowners are from Rumah Upok, Lepong Kepayang; Rumah Robert, Nanga Menjuau, Lepong Kepayang; Rumah Lidom, Sungai Paya; Rumah Ambu, Emperan; Rumah Juan, Panchor; and Rumah Mengga, Rantau Bungkang – all in Ulu Skrang.

“The Phase II of Ulu Skrang Road project will cover a distance of 23km under the Sri Aman-Betong package of Pan Borneo road construction to longhouses in Ulu Skrang.

“The project will include repair and widening works on Ulu Skrang Road, replacement of wooden bridges with concrete ones and other related works,” she said.

Meanwhile Rayong, in his speech, disclosed that a total of RM28.5 million had been allocated for Phase II of Ulu Skrang Road.

He said upon completion, the road would provide direct connectivity between the urban areas and the interiors of Ulu Skrang, besides consequently attracting visitors to interesting and beautiful natural sites there.

On the compensation, he advised the recipients to use it wisely, At the same time, he encouraged them to be involved in agriculture and e-trade.

In addition to pepper, oil palm and rubber plantations, he told them that they could also utilise their vacant land along the Ulu Skrang Road for rearing livestock like goats and cows, apart from planting other cash crops like chillies, ginger and fruit trees like those bearing Musang King durians.

“This is in line with the government policy to make Bukit Sadok an ‘agropolitan’. When fully developed, it could be the supply hub for agricultural products for the proposed Betong collection centre,” Rayong said, stressing that they (landowners) could talk to him should they encounter any issue or problem.

“You must have up-to-date telephone gadgets. With such facilities, you can market your products online. This is what we call e-trading – selling and buying digitally. Through digital economy, you can increase your family’s income by more than RM4,000 as targeted by the state government,” Rayong added.

He said digital economy would also facilitate transactions like orders and payments, which could be done digitally through Sarawak Pay.

“Even fresh vegetables from the rural areas can be sold digitally. As stressed by our Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari (Tun Openg), Bank Negara’s decision to raise the maximum e-wallet balance for Sarawak Pay from RM200 to RM3,000 would boost the business and tourism industries in the state further.

“Sarawak Pay will provide the convenience and the means to facilitate business transactions. We, the rural people, must help the government to make this a success.

“Today, if you want to promote tourism, you need to do it in a digital way — whether using virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR). We can use our telephones to utilise social media platforms well, upload photos and information to introduce Skrang to the world.

“It is up to the rural folk here to be more creative in attracting visitors to their areas and also in marketing their products via digital economy,” Rayong pointed out.

Among those present at the function were Crispen Francis who represented Sri Aman Resident, as well as representatives of other government agencies and community leaders.