HLC MEETING AGREES TO CONDUCT RURAL YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME - DPM AHMAD ZAHID

PUTRAJAYA, Nov 18 (Bernama) -- The Rural Development High-Level Committee (HLC) meeting No 2/2025 today agreed to carry out the Youth and Sports Ministry’s (KBS) Rural Youth Development Programme as a comprehensive platform to bring together leadership, mental health, sports and volunteer training programmes.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is also Rural and Regional Development Minister said that the approach would coordinate all youth programmes in terms of location, facilities and implementation by using ministry and agency assets in rural areas.

He also said his ministry would continue to strengthen the rural development agenda through HLC meetings as the country’s highest platform to coordinate rural development policies and their implementation in a holistic, integrated manner in line with the aspirations of the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP).

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“Today’s meeting outlined several cross-ministry strategic steps that will drive rural development towards a more modern, inclusive and resilient ecosystem.

“The HLC also stressed the need to close the development gap by improving education access, new economic opportunities, talent development, digital integration and better governance in all regions,” he said.

In line with the commitment to raise rural early education capabilities, the HLC also announced efforts to readjust all early education in Felda areas, beginning with the closure of 224 Family Literacy Centres in stages and the absorption of over 3,200 students to KEMAS facilities that have standard curriculum and accredited teaching staff.

KEMAS would also expand the Tunas Istimewa kindergartens in Felda areas for autistic children as a way to ensure inclusive education is enjoyed by all rural residents, he said, adding that HLC would also support the strategic partnership between his ministry and Felda to expand entrepreneurial training, product certification, digital marketing and to utilise unused Felda assets as skill training centres to benefit over 112,000 settlers.

“The meeting also agreed to expand participation of Felda entrepreneurs in mainstream programmes including the Rural Business Challenge, Gate-to-Global, the Malaysia Halal International Exhibition and Sejati MADANI grants,” Ahmad Zahid said.

HLC has also mandated the development of a National Rural Development Data Dashboard, which will be the main administrative instrument in identifying the gaps in service coverage, reducing overlapping functions and ensure policy decisions are made accurately based on real-time data, he added.

He also said that all the measures agreed upon will strengthen the HLC’s four major focuses - to make rural areas as career centres, to drive a techno-entrepreneur wave, improve rural agencies and to lift rural tourism as an economic catalyst, to speed up efforts to close the development gap and to raise rural community well-being sustainably.

-- BERNAMA