The impact of planned rural development : a case study of Kundasang Highland vegetable cultivation irrigation project in Sabah, East Malaysia

Abstract

This thesis examines the economic, social and environmental impact of a state-initiated in-situ rural development project at Kundasang in Sabah, East Malaysia. Rural development as a strategy for development planning in the Third World grew out of a general disenchantment with the technocratic and growthoriented policies of the 1950s and 1960s. Under rural development programmes, specific approaches were adopted to raise rural productivity, accelerate commercial development of agriculture and to improve social services and institutional and infrastructural arrangements essential to the success of such approaches. Two contrasting approaches have characterised efforts to bring rural development to smallholder farmers: 1) land development and resettlement schemes, and 2) insitu agricultural development. In Malaysia both of these systems were promoted during the late colonial period, and continued to be central in Malaysian postindependence rural development policy for rural development. Despite concerted efforts, evidence indicates that, with the exception of a few land-development and resettlement schemes in West Malaysia, most smallholder schemes have failed to perform to expectations. An exception was the Kundasang in-situ project, which was judged to be a success by government agencies. This study investigated the reasons for Kundasang's success. Archival research, in-depth interviews, observations, questionnaire surveys, field measurements and crop inventories were carried out during nine-month fieldwork from December 1989 to August 1990 to gather relevant information. Research findings indicate that local Dusun land owners, the main target population, adopted modem technology new crops and more intensive cultivation practices. The provision of infrastructure by government, and availability of suitable environmental conditions, particularly cool temperatures and moderate to high soil fertility assisted the successful adoption of temperate vegetables as cash crops. The success of commercial vegetable farming has provided a key to increased incomes and lifestyle changes. It has also enhanced the value of land, given the original land owners cash to buy new commodities and services, and increased their access to new opportunities in education, business and off-farm employment. The thesis found that despite rapid development, the area has not suffered from many of the negative consequences often chronicled in the literature. Although some land has been sold, and land degradation and some social and economic differentiation have occurred, there is little evidence as yet of a concentration of benefits of development among the rich, and of increasing landlessness and unemployment among the poor, as has happened in many parts of Malaysia and elsewhere in the Third World. However, the thesis argues that if land degradation and land sales continue, there may soon be scarcity of suitable land for cultivation for Dusun land owners. Some Dusun could even become landless. In order to maintain the long-term success and sustainability of the project, it is suggested that measures should be instituted to prevent land degradation, to limit land alienation and to encourage the long-term viability of increasing Dusun involvement in both commercial vegetable farming and off-farm entrepreneurial activities. If such measures are implemented Kundasang could serve as a model for sustainable rural development in Malaysia and the Third World. Show more