Smallholders are feeling the pinch although rubber prices are skyrocketing, according to SAPP.
KOTA KINABALU: Soaring rubber prices is great news for the industry but tappers in Sabah are not seeing the money.
The Sabah Rubber Industries Board (SRIB) has been accused of delaying payment to the mostly poor smallholders and causing them to turn to loan sharks to borrow money.
According to Sabah Progressive Peoples’ Party (SAPP) information chief Chong Pit Fah, the high price of rubber is “not really benefiting” the kampung folk.
“The price of rubber has increased to RM8.90 per kilo but these kampung people are not really benefiting.
“We received information that the SRIB has delayed the payment after collecting rubber sheets from the kampung people,” Chong said.
He said that SRIB and the government should explain the delay which is causing anxiety among the rubber tappers and villagers who are dependent on the sales of their rubber to make ends meet.
He said that the party had also been told that some of the rubber tappers were now using their “payment vouchers” from the SRIB as a collateral to borrow money.
“This is sad. Why can’t the payment be made immediately? The price of rubber is so good but it appears that something is wrong somewhere.
“Is the government even aware of the hardship that these people have to endure?
“They are up early in the morning to tap rubber… they are working hard but their effort is not appreciated.”
He said that the laudable “People First, Performance Now” slogan of the Barisan Nasional (BN) was turning out to be “merely a tool to hoodwink the people”.
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