Day Five - 8th of May, 2006, Sabah Poverty Research

Professor Ogata checking out the office!!


Mostly interviews done. In the morning, Dr Iguchi and I went to office at the UPEN building. In the morning we visit the officer in charge of the Department of the Rural Development. During the interviews we found that there are several different PLIs. It is very common to find that there are not reliable statistics in underdeveloped countries but it is a surprise to me that Malaysia has different dubious statistics. When we had an interview with Zul, young Malaysian officer, we have another differetn statistics. Everybody told me that theirs are the latest one. That makes me more confused. Just before the lunch time, we visited the statistical office and there we found various statistics. The only thing I could rely on was the smile on the lady who sold those statistics to us.
In the afternoon we visited the Institute of Development Studies, Sabah, the governmental organisation full of excitement with their achivement, SAIP, Sabah Agro Industrial Precinct. Their focus is on the very much economic development, and I felt it could be a bit remote from our purpose. Anyway if there is any way to link our project to that project, it would mean that we have a tremendous institutional back-up.
Prof. Ogata arrived in Sabah around 5 PM. We had a discussion over the dinner. It is always great to have a colleague in the team, especially good one like him. Tomorrow we are going to courtesy visit the chief of the JPSS. And I have to meet chief of the Agricultural department and asked them for the data Prof. Itagaki needed. In the afternoon I have to go to the statistical office to buy more statistical documents. I wonder whether I have a time to visit the software shop. Busy day as always....