A Historical Overview of Poverty Eradication Through Agricultural in Sabah, Malaysia

Sys Rev Pharm 2020;11(12):1032-1038 A muAltifacHetediresvietwojourrnialcinathelfieOld ofvphaermracvy iew Of Poverty Eradication Through Agricultural In Sabah, Malaysia Romzi Ationg, Rose Patsy Tibok, Madiyem Layapan, UAndivreerassitiTMotaul,aJyasniaeSWaboanhg, KoontaLKininga&baAlulv,iSeaLboahS,inMValoaiysia Corresponding Author: [email protected]/[email protected] ABSTRACT This paper presents a comprehensive overview of the rural poverty eradication Keywords: Sabah; North Borneo; rural society; rural poverty eradication; efforts undertaken by the Sabah state government by way of various agricultural- contract farming; agriculture. based solutions. The discussion examines local attitudes, behaviour and acceptance towards the contract farming system as a tool for agricultural Correspondence: commercialisation and the improvement efforts targeted at effecting changes in *Corresponding author: [email protected]/[email protected] rural society structures and uplifting the rural standard of living. Sabah’s administrative history, its rural and agricultural sector economic development, and the social structures of rural society are deliberated upon extensively since these elements are found to be intricately interwoven in the incidence of rural poverty and the acceptance or willingness by rural communities to participate in poverty eradication programmes such as contract farming. Based on document reviews, participation in contract farming programmes is found to be static (neither increasing or declining) with the exception of rubber planting and paddy production which showed significant increase. INTRODUCTION which allowed the Sultanate to exercise power over a vast Sabah, referred to for centuries by outsiders as North area in northwest Borneo (roughly comprising present- Borneo, is strategically located within the rapidly day Brunei and the Malaysian states of Sabah and developing Southeast Asian region. With a land size of Sarawak) until the coming of the British. 73,620 square kilometres (Malaysia, 2001; Malhi, 2000; Under this system, the region was sub-zoned into the Ationg, Guiness, Ibrahim, Esa, A. Rahman, Hiew & Tung Sungai Karajaan, Sungai Kuripan and Sungai Tulin Moi, 2020; Ationg & Guiness, 2020), the state boundaries districts for ease of administration. The Sungai Karajaan extend from the Mengalong River on the west coast to the district served as the personal appendage of Sultan who eastern part of Sebatik Island on the east coast. Located however only coWnatrzoirlled its revenue during his reign. between Latitude 3 52’ to 7 25’ north and Latitude 115 Sungai Kuripan was placed under the jurisdiction of a 20’ to 119 16’ east (Malhi, 2000), Sabah’s heavily non-hereditary ‘ ’ whereby, upon his demise, the indented coastline of approximately 1440 kilometres is control of the area would revert to the Sultan until a surrounded on three sides by the South China Sea in the sPuecncgeisrsaonr was appointed. Sungai Tulin district however west and north, the Sulu Sea in the northeast and the was hereditary and passed down from one generation of Celebes Sea in the east. The state is also strategically ‘ ’ to the next as a personal property (Kurus, located between Hong Kong, Manila and Singapore. Sabah, 1994W).azFiorr the purpose of administering justice and tax home to mountain ranges, rapid rivers and verdant collection, agents sent from the capital by the Sultan, or rainforests, enjoys a tropical climate of year0-long Ptheengiran in charge of Sungai Kuripan would visit these sun0shine with temperatures averaging between 25 C to districts periodically. This was similarly so with the 28 C although the monsoon months of September, of the Sungai Tulin district whom the Sultan had October, November, and December would usually bring in bequeathed both the riPgehntgsirtoanasdminister as well as to tax Shaebavaihe’rstAhadnmuisnuisatlrraatiinvfealHl. istory in Brief the inhabitants in their respective areas. However, for the most part, successive were absentee landlords residing at the capital. The history of Sabah could be traced back to the era when When the British first arrived in Sabah, they wisely some regions or areas of the state were part of the decided not to interfere in matters concerning the Kingdom of the Brunei sultanate. This then Brunei religion and cultural affairs of the natives (based perhaps territory in the north of the Borneo island was referred to on their earlier experience in Malaya). Instead, they as ‘Saba’ while the area south-west of Brunei bay was sought to make an ally out of the native leaders by named ‘Hulu’ (present day Malaysian state of Sarawak). incorporating the local chieftain system in their The Sultan of Brunei was purported to have ceded administrative set-up. The British gave full recognition to northern Borneo, from the Kimanis River up to the the existing moral authority and power of the Native Sebuku River, to the Sultan of Sulu in return for the Courts as part of the state’s judicial machinery with the latter’sthhelp during a civil war in the Brunei sultanate in first such court established in 1884 in Putatan district. To the 17 century. Although such ‘gift’ was soon denied by further improve administration at the local level, C.W.C. Brunei, the Sulu sultanate neverthelesdse-sjtuarkeed its claims Parr, the then Governor of North Borneo, established the on northern Borneo and established control over its Native Chiefs’ Advisory Council (NCAC) in 1915 to ensure eastern coastal areas. Brunei claimed sovereignty the effective implementation of British policies towards over the entire portion of north Borneo extending from the natives. This Council however was not a prominent Brunei Bay ondet-hfaecwtoest of the Sebuku in eastern Borneo institution and by 1917 had ceased to exist. It was later though it was only along the coastal areas that it was able revived in 1935 but again became non-functional when to exercise authority through the political- the Japanese invaded Sabah. administrative river system, an effective mechanism 1032 Systematic Reviews in Pharmacy Vol 11, Issue 12, December 2020 A Historical Overview Of Poverty Eradication Through Agricultural In Sabah, Malaysia Sabah became a crown colony in 1946 when the British transformation process towards a new rural society, the North Borneo Chartered Company (BNBC) handed over main thrust of development needs to be concentrated on the administration of the state to the British Government. efforts towards expanded growth and development in the Britain made use of the administration system to divide agricultural sector. Rural agricultural-based society and rule the people. Indeed, as indicated by their practice transformation through diversification and of having Muslim leaders serving the Muslim community, intensification of agriculture and related rural activities the British astutely exploited the inter-personal and has been among the significant strategies adopted inter-ethnic rivalries in the state to minimise the elsewhere with the economic and social consequences emergence of a broad-based ethnic unity and ensure observed as in-depth and far-reaching. Sustained general order and cooperation from the locals (Kurus, development in the agricultural sector has the capability 1994). In 1963, Sabah achieved independence and later to transform rural society into an agrarian society with became a founding member of Malaysia. The emergence different social structures as compared to other rural of this new nation subsequently led to the communities with no new agricultural production conceptualisation of national development agendas method being implemented. Social structures in this aimed at enhancing and improving Sabah’s overall status context refer to social relationship, gender, economic, in the economic, political and social spheres. population and family structure (Macionis, 1997; Heer & Sabah after independence was divided into four Grigsby, 1992; Sarris & Shams, 1991). residencies namely West Coast Residency, Interior Sabah’s development plan rests on a solid foundation of Residency, Sandakan Residency and Tawau Residency. development-oriented general policies. The economy of The thirty-one districts in the state comprised 63.7% the state is driven by a wealth of natural resources with Muslims, 27.8% Christians and 8.5% other religions fruit production, vegetables, aquaculture, livestock, food (Malaysia, 2001). Five districts were listed as being below crops (paddy), oil palm, rubber, corn, bee-rearing, the poverty line based on the number of hardcore poor modern manufacturing and the advent of new high- families in those areas - Kota Belud (1,428 families), Kota technology companies currently transforming the state Marudu (1,343 families), Pitas (1,135 families), Kudat into a more industry-based economy. This development (1,032 families), and Nabawan (935 families) - with many agenda has brought about the transformation of rural of these small-landholding and low-income farmers faced society into a new agrarian society facilitated in part by with diverse agricultural and resource issues and the implementation of contract farming system, an challenges related to extreme environment variability, an important element in the development of rural adverse climate, and often unreliable water supply or ScomcimaluSntirtuiecst.ure of Rural Society in Sabah Rreusroaulracensd(ARgahrimcualht,u2r0a0l4S)e.ctor Economic Development Sabah is predominantly a rural agricultural society where Similar to Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak,

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