CHIEF Minister Abang Johari Openg said the proposed sale of all of Tabung Haji’s oil palm plantations in Sarawak to the state government could be wrapped up in three months.

Abang Johari told delegates at a Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) convention in Betong today that negotiations to take over all TH’s plantations in the state is in the final stages.

He said only the sale price stands in the way of putting pen to paper.

“(It’s) as good as sold. We will take over the plantations.

“Give me three months,” he said in response to a resolution calling on the government to allocate between 5,000ha and 10,000ha, including privately owned land, estates and plantations, to be turned into agro parks.

The Betong PBB zone resolution calls for the setting up of agro parks in all 82 constituencies in the state.

The chief minister said as he has promised to do it, “I will do it”.

“(This is) similar to what I did on the state sales tax on petroleum products,” he said.

According to TH Plantation’s 2019 annual report, as at December 31, 2019, its three plantations in Sarawak covers 18,1616ha.

THP Pelita Sadong owns 4,567ha, THP Pelita Gedong (8,011ha) and Hydroflow (5,583ha).

Meanwhile, Abang Johari said that the government had last week allocated RM50 million for the purchase of a satellite to roll out a VSAT (very small aperture terminal) internet service.

He said the satellite VSAT service is only a “temporary, short-term solution” to resolve telecommunications issues in the state’s vast rural areas.

“We have built the (telecommunication) towers but the telcos (telecommunication companies) have so far refused to provide the service in rural areas.”

Abang Johari said the telcos said doing so would be a loss-making venture as there are not enough subscribers.

“So, this is a problem for us.”

The VSAT internet service will have a speed of 30mbps (mega bits per second). – September 26, 2020.