KUALA SELANGOR - For the longest time, villagers in Sungai Sembilang survived almost entirely on bounties from the sea.
Their earnings used to be enough, but as the years went by, it wasn’t. Families grew bigger, and there were more mouths to feed.
Driven by the need to have more disposable income, the villagers — armed with ingenuity and resourcefulness — worked to diversify their earnings.
With years of hard work, they managed to turn their quiet seaside fishing village into a booming tourist hamlet for urbanites looking to escape the hustle and bustle in the Klang Valley.
And their feat did not go unnoticed.
"I am amazed,” praised caretaker Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz at the village fishing jetty during his visit there yesterday.
"The villagers who once depended on fishing, now ventured into tourism by bringing tourists to the Sky Mirror (reflective water), eagle feeding as well as offering homestay businesses,” he added.
He said there were seven more fishing piers in the Kuala Selangor Parliamentary constituency which were also able to help the community multiply their income through the tourism sector.
"The villagers also formed a community selling fresh seafood, crochet accessories and snacks among others and earned between RM400 and RM500 a month,” he added.
Zafrul said the government will continue to help fishermen increase their incomes.
He also urged all fishermen to apply for incentives and subsidies which the government had provided including the 12 months allowances of RM250.
"I hope all the fishermen in Kuala Selangor are aware of this and have since applied for the allowance.
"For this year, the government allocated RM1.7 billion for subsidies and incentives for the agriculture and fisheries sectors.
"However, for next year, the government has suggested an increment of by RM100 million to a total of RM1.8 billion," he added.
Their earnings used to be enough, but as the years went by, it wasn’t. Families grew bigger, and there were more mouths to feed.
Driven by the need to have more disposable income, the villagers — armed with ingenuity and resourcefulness — worked to diversify their earnings.
With years of hard work, they managed to turn their quiet seaside fishing village into a booming tourist hamlet for urbanites looking to escape the hustle and bustle in the Klang Valley.
And their feat did not go unnoticed.
"I am amazed,” praised caretaker Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz at the village fishing jetty during his visit there yesterday.
"The villagers who once depended on fishing, now ventured into tourism by bringing tourists to the Sky Mirror (reflective water), eagle feeding as well as offering homestay businesses,” he added.
He said there were seven more fishing piers in the Kuala Selangor Parliamentary constituency which were also able to help the community multiply their income through the tourism sector.
"The villagers also formed a community selling fresh seafood, crochet accessories and snacks among others and earned between RM400 and RM500 a month,” he added.
Zafrul said the government will continue to help fishermen increase their incomes.
He also urged all fishermen to apply for incentives and subsidies which the government had provided including the 12 months allowances of RM250.
"I hope all the fishermen in Kuala Selangor are aware of this and have since applied for the allowance.
"For this year, the government allocated RM1.7 billion for subsidies and incentives for the agriculture and fisheries sectors.
"However, for next year, the government has suggested an increment of by RM100 million to a total of RM1.8 billion," he added.