Food Security Maintained, Malinau Prosperous
INFO NASIONAL – The Regent of Malinau, Wempi W. Mawa, initiated the Healthy Farming (PESAT) programme to strengthen food security and optimise the potential of Malinau Regency. Through PESAT, Regent Wempi is utilising idle land, forming a task force and modernising infrastructure to achieve food self-sufficiency, as well as creating employment opportunities.
“I have learned from life’s realities. Malinau sits on the border and has extraordinary potential, yet infrastructure remains limited for communities in the remote interior and frontier areas that are relatively difficult to reach quickly,” said Regent Wempi in Jakarta on Tuesday, 28 July 2026.
According to Regent Wempi, optimising Malinau’s potential can achieve regional food security. “I introduced this Healthy Farming programme so that people can be healthy in their activities, and hopefully they will also be healthy in terms of the produce they consume, which will certainly affect their productivity and welfare,” he said.
Regent Wempi explained that PESAT provides education and space to utilise government and community land that has so far been unproductive. In addition, PESAT creates jobs and educates the younger generation to develop agricultural innovations so they have the capacity to stand on their own feet, in keeping with the spirit of the Malinau Regency Regional Government. “That is our dream for the PESAT programme. Food security is something fundamental for us — we must not allow inflation to occur because of food security issues,” he said.
Regent Wempi said that as many as 380 PESAT task force members are actively involved in farming activities, driving the production of 36,828 kilogrammes of unhusked rice and 8,610 kilogrammes of corn. “This task force was recruited and selected from young people or residents of Malinau Regency who were interested in joining,” he said.
The PESAT task force works on land spread across all districts in Malinau Regency. Some of them have even become drivers and inspirators within their communities. “They transfer knowledge and implement it,” he said.
Regent Wempi stressed that the PESAT task force does not focus on a single sector. Some plant rice and corn and then wait for the harvest, whilst others grow horticultural crops. “We are increasing our productivity so that we do not depend on one commodity, but instead promote other foodstuffs that can be produced,” he said.
Regent Wempi has opened up agricultural access to facilitate the distribution and mobilisation of farm produce, as well as improving connectivity between regions so that all residents of Malinau Regency can be reached. “What we are doing now is further optimising and recruiting more Malinau residents who want to join the PESAT task force so that its reach becomes even wider, because several districts are quite distant. If they can produce their own food, that becomes a good economic value,” he said.
Regent Wempi is optimistic that the PESAT programme will produce self-reliant communities able to meet their own needs. “Because this programme is indeed an implementation of President Prabowo’s Asta Cita programme for food self-sufficiency, food security, job creation and improving community welfare,” he said.