Usukan: Convinced of the vast potential of the agricultural sector, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) candidate for the Usukan seat, Datuk Japlin Aki, is determined to revive idle padi fields and drive agricultural economic development in the constituency if given the mandate in the 17th Sabah State Election. Japlin, 58, said Usukan was once among Sabah’s key rice-producing areas, but much of its padi land is now left uncultivated, affecting the productivity and income of local farmers.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Japlin stated that Usukan has a substantial area of padi land that was once productive but is now idle. He believes that if elected, his priority would be to reactivate these fields to enable farmers to earn an income from padi cultivation once more. He emphasized this commitment is not just a campaign promise but a goal rooted in personal experience and a career in agriculture.
Japlin, who serves as the Usukan Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (PGRS) division chief, shared that his background as a farmer’s son and his education in agribusiness from Universiti Pertanian Malaysia provide him with a strong foundation in agriculture. He further added that his professional journey, which includes roles as an officer at the Village Development Cooperative and a ten-year stint at the Farmers’ Organisation Authority (LPP), coupled with his political experience as a former State Assistant Minister of Agriculture since 2004, equips him to spearhead efforts to expand Usukan’s agricultural sector.
He expressed confidence in Usukan’s potential to reemerge as a significant food-producing region, highlighting padi and rubber cultivation alongside strengthening fisheries and livestock sectors as key areas of focus. Japlin attributed the current idle condition of agricultural land to a historical lack of coordinated focus, which he believes can be addressed with proper planning and strategic implementation.
Facing a six-cornered contest, Japlin is among those challenging former Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Salleh Said Keruak of Barisan Nasional (BN) and Kota Belud MP Isnaraissah Munirah Majilis of Warisan. Japlin emphasized that his focus is on serving the people rather than on his opponents, underscoring that his grassroots service has been ongoing since 2020, well before the campaign period.
Japlin concluded by highlighting Usukan’s potential to lead Kota Belud’s agricultural sector through modernizing traditional farming and reactivating idle land as a new economic resource for residents.