The regional development programmes

The regional development programmes and the policies of PERDA have an in-situ pattern that does not need any restructuring or migration of people from their original settlements. However, this approach based on agricultural development has still failed to improve the socio-economic status of the villagers. Furthermore, the ad-hoc short-term projects, are incapable of venturing into more competitive market. In relation to this, the question of sustainability in development programmes becomes very crucial. Sustainability is an issue because experience with development programmes is rich with examples of donor-assisted efforts that did not bring about long-term
improvements (OECD, 1989). On this basis, elements of urbanism based on an agropolitan approach (Friedmann & Weaver, 1979) should be introduced. The agropolitan district is linked to the regional network including larger towns by physical channels of communication. These agricultural development strategies need to be backed-up with agricultural incentives such as price control and loans and to be managed in a collective organization. The development of the agricultural-based industries is an important element and the productivity gains can be achieved through regional economy, efficient physical development resources and the expansion of regional and inter-regional markets.
However, the development of non-agricultural based industries and urbanization is too strong for agriculture to compete with. As a result, labour migration occurs and the agricultural lands are left unattended. At the same time the strong tendency for industrial and commercial development to concentrate along the metropolitan corridor implies that the PERDA region would remain very much an agricultural hinterland. But, productive agricultural land is likely to give way to non-agricultural development, and the number of farm opportunities available is also anticipated to decline. The result will be that the majority of PERDA’s settlements would have to play the role of dormitory towns providing housing, amenities and support services for the needed manpower
of the expanding commercial and industrial activities in the metropolitan areas. Otherwise, there would be a continuous influx of population, especially the young, skilled, and better educated ones, from the rural to the metropolitan areas. The consequence might be that PERDA’s area would experience a decline in population. If such a situation were allowed to take place without any intervention, the disparity between the metropolitan and PERDA’s region would widen. The former would achieve greater prospects while the latter would lag behind in opportunities.
Since agricultural activities are predominant in the rural economy and provide a means of livehood for a majority of the population, the idea was accepted that agriculture would often be the starting point for rural development and rural industrialization would have a mainly supportive role. As suggested by UNIDO (1978:5), “…an early step towards rural industrialization would be to strengthen the linkages between the two sectors at the policy, planning, programme and project levels.”
In view of the present constraints, the relevant long-term development strategy for the agricultural sector in Malaysia, and other developing countries, is to raise the productivity of scarce resources. The most effective way to optimize the use of scarce land and labour resources is to effect changes in the crop mix to more remunerative crops and to increase the productivity of the existing crops. There are good prospects of crop conversion away from existing crops to others such as oil palm with higher returns per unit areas of land, which may be consolidated and managed commercially as mini-estates. Furthermore, new high-yielding clones and better farm
management practices are expected to push up production of crude palm oil. The use of palm oil and its by-products and the palm trees will be further diversified. Besides this, the palm oil sub-sector’s contribution to total agricultural value-added is expected to increase from 41.5% in 1995 to 43.1% in year 2000 (Agatha, 1996).
The concern about the need to revitalize the agricultural sector stems from the relative decline in the performance of the sector. The programme of the revitalization of agriculture wills emphasis increasing productivity, efficiency, competitiveness and fuller utilization of existing and new resources. Since unorganized smallholders form a large segment of agricultural households, the modernization and commercialization of unorganized smallholders needs to be emphasized. Increasing participation of the private sector will be crucial in the revitalization process. These general ideas are relevant to the thrust of the National Agricultural Policy, which has the objective …”to maximize income from agriculture through the efficient utilization of resources and the revitalization of the contribution of the sector to overall economic development (Fifth Malaysia Plan, 1986:296).
The strategy to meet this objective is not production or commodity-oriented but rather enterprise-oriented, whereby it encourages, where possible, shifts to profitable crop enterprises or cropping patterns which ensure high returns to labor and investment. In addition to the crop production sector, due cognizance should also be given to the livestock and aquaculture sectors. Small-scale projects such as sheep grazing under tree crops, duck egg production, quail breeding, are useful income supplementation devices, are not costly to implement nor do they involve very substantial risks. Projects such as these moreover would help promote more optimal enterprise mixes.
Strengthening intersectoral linkages forms the key issue in the revitalization of agriculture and industrial growth, which would also contribute to solving the low incomes and underemployment problems of the agricultural sector. Although maximizing existing and potential linkages and multiplier effects within and between sectors has been identified as a strategy for the manufacturing sector (Fifth Malaysia Plan, 1986:333), much has to be done to tap the full potential of the dynamic contribution of the agricultural sector in the industrialization process.
The experience of establishing these linkages (agriculture-industry linkages) in some of the countries of the region, particularly in China, the Republic of Korea and Thailand, show that the strategy is not only essential but also feasible (United Nations, 1990:91).

Hasil (Bahasa Indonesia) 1:

Program pembangunan daerah dan kebijakan PERDA memiliki pola di situ yang tidak perlu restrukturisasi apapun atau migrasi orang dari pemukiman asli mereka. Namun, pendekatan ini didasarkan pada pengembangan pertanian masih telah gagal untuk memperbaiki status sosial-ekonomi penduduk desa. Selain itu, proyek-proyek jangka pendek ad hoc, tidak mampu menjelajah ke pasar lebih kompetitif. Terkait hal ini, pertanyaan tentang keberlanjutan dalam program pengembangan menjadi sangat penting. Keberlanjutan adalah masalah karena pengalaman dengan program pengembangan kaya dengan contoh-contoh dari upaya bantuan donor yang tidak membawa tentang jangka panjangperbaikan (OECD, 1989). Atas dasar ini, unsur-unsur urbanisme yang berdasarkan pendekatan agropolitan (Friedmann & Weaver, 1979) harus diperkenalkan. Distrik agropolitan yang terhubung ke jaringan regional termasuk kota-kota besar oleh fisik saluran komunikasi. Strategi Pengembangan Pertanian ini perlu menjadi didukung-up dengan insentif pertanian seperti kontrol harga dan pinjaman dan akan dikelola dalam organisasi kolektif. Pengembangan industri berbasis pertanian merupakan elemen penting dan peningkatan produktivitas dapat dicapai melalui ekonomi regional, pengembangan fisik yang efisien sumber daya dan perluasan pasar regional dan antar regional.Namun, pengembangan industri berbasis non-pertanian dan urbanisasi terlalu kuat untuk pertanian untuk bersaing dengan. Sebagai akibatnya, terjadi migrasi tenaga kerja dan lahan pertanian ditinggalkan tanpa pengawasan. Pada saat yang sama kuat kecenderungan untuk pengembangan industri dan komersial untuk berkonsentrasi sepanjang koridor metropolitan menyiratkan bahwa wilayah PERDA akan tetap sangat pedalaman pertanian. Tapi, lahan pertanian produktif mungkin untuk memberikan cara untuk pengembangan non-pertanian, dan jumlah peluang pertanian yang tersedia juga diantisipasi untuk menolak. Hasilnya akan bahwa mayoritas PERDA di permukiman harus memainkan peran asrama kota menyediakan layanan perumahan, kenyamanan dan dukungan untuk tenaga kerja yang diperlukanmemperluas komersial dan industri kegiatan di wilayah metropolitan. Jika tidak, tidak akan terus-menerus masuknya populasi, khususnya kaum muda, terampil, dan yang lebih berpendidikan, dari daerah pedesaan ke daerah-daerah metropolitan. Konsekuensi mungkin bahwa PERDA di daerah akan mengalami penurunan jumlah penduduk. Jika situasi diizinkan untuk mengambil tempat tanpa intervensi, kesenjangan antara PERDA di wilayah metropolitan dan akan melebar. Mantan akan mencapai prospek lebih besar sementara yang kedua akan tertinggal di belakang dalam kesempatan.Since agricultural activities are predominant in the rural economy and provide a means of livehood for a majority of the population, the idea was accepted that agriculture would often be the starting point for rural development and rural industrialization would have a mainly supportive role. As suggested by UNIDO (1978:5), “…an early step towards rural industrialization would be to strengthen the linkages between the two sectors at the policy, planning, programme and project levels.”In view of the present constraints, the relevant long-term development strategy for the agricultural sector in Malaysia, and other developing countries, is to raise the productivity of scarce resources. The most effective way to optimize the use of scarce land and labour resources is to effect changes in the crop mix to more remunerative crops and to increase the productivity of the existing crops. There are good prospects of crop conversion away from existing crops to others such as oil palm with higher returns per unit areas of land, which may be consolidated and managed commercially as mini-estates. Furthermore, new high-yielding clones and better farmmanagement practices are expected to push up production of crude palm oil. The use of palm oil and its by-products and the palm trees will be further diversified. Besides this, the palm oil sub-sector’s contribution to total agricultural value-added is expected to increase from 41.5% in 1995 to 43.1% in year 2000 (Agatha, 1996).The concern about the need to revitalize the agricultural sector stems from the relative decline in the performance of the sector. The programme of the revitalization of agriculture wills emphasis increasing productivity, efficiency, competitiveness and fuller utilization of existing and new resources. Since unorganized smallholders form a large segment of agricultural households, the modernization and commercialization of unorganized smallholders needs to be emphasized. Increasing participation of the private sector will be crucial in the revitalization process. These general ideas are relevant to the thrust of the National Agricultural Policy, which has the objective …”to maximize income from agriculture through the efficient utilization of resources and the revitalization of the contribution of the sector to overall economic development (Fifth Malaysia Plan, 1986:296).The strategy to meet this objective is not production or commodity-oriented but rather enterprise-oriented, whereby it encourages, where possible, shifts to profitable crop enterprises or cropping patterns which ensure high returns to labor and investment. In addition to the crop production sector, due cognizance should also be given to the livestock and aquaculture sectors. Small-scale projects such as sheep grazing under tree crops, duck egg production, quail breeding, are useful income supplementation devices, are not costly to implement nor do they involve very substantial risks. Projects such as these moreover would help promote more optimal enterprise mixes.Strengthening intersectoral linkages forms the key issue in the revitalization of agriculture and industrial growth, which would also contribute to solving the low incomes and underemployment problems of the agricultural sector. Although maximizing existing and potential linkages and multiplier effects within and between sectors has been identified as a strategy for the manufacturing sector (Fifth Malaysia Plan, 1986:333), much has to be done to tap the full potential of the dynamic contribution of the agricultural sector in the industrialization process.The experience of establishing these linkages (agriculture-industry linkages) in some of the countries of the region, particularly in China, the Republic of Korea and Thailand, show that the strategy is not only essential but also feasible (United Nations, 1990:91).