Kota Kinabalu: The Sabah Rubber Industry Board (LIGS) plans to develop 40 hectares of land in Parcel B on Pulau Banggi with rubber plantations involving 130 villagers, under a RM5 million allocation next year, the State Legislative Assembly was told today.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan stated that LIGS was committed to developing the entire area within the 13th Malaysia Plan period, which is expected to benefit 1,000 local residents as rubber tappers. The Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food Industry Minister added that the full development of Parcel B would generate an economic impact of at least RM40 million annually for Pulau Banggi.

Kitingan emphasized that the ministry, through LIGS, does not intend to de-gazette the Parcel B land, as the federal government has already approved a development allocation of RM30 million. He was responding to a query from Datuk Mohammad Mohamarin (GRS-Banggi), who inquired about LIGS’s plans for developing the 2,000-hectare land handed over by the Federal Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (Felcra) on Pulau Banggi.

Kitingan further clarified that the LIGS-owned land in Parcel B, Pulau Banggi, actually covers 3,280 hectares, not 2,000 hectares, and was gazetted to LIGS in 2018 under Section 28 of the Sabah Land Ordinance. LIGS is working to develop the entire Parcel B area and is formulating a phased development plan using the allocations approved by the federal government.

“In 2024, LIGS spent RM1.3 million to conduct a survey of the entire area, and this year, LIGS will proceed with rubber plantation development covering 200 hectares, costing RM2.5 million, involving 60 local villagers as participants,” Kitingan said. Regarding Parcel A in the Banggi area, he noted that it has been entrusted to Felcra for development under an agreement between the state government and the agency.