KKDW PERSONNEL SHOULD INTENSIFY EFFORTS TO SERVE RURAL COMMUNITIES - DPM AHMAD ZAHID

PUTRAJAYA, Dec 4 (Bernama) -- Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has called on all Ministry of Rural Development (KKDW) personnel to continue intensifying efforts to serve the 8.1 million members of rural communities across the country.

He said that no rural area should be left behind in the ongoing development efforts undertaken by the Unity Government.

“I believe all our efforts have also captured the attention of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, as reflected in the additional allocation given to KKDW in the 2025 Budget amounting to RM11.96 billion, an increase of RM405.27 million or 3.51 per cent from the allocation received in 2024.

“So, I want us to double our efforts and always engage with rural communities. With continuous innovation, we can ensure that the ministry remains competitive and capable through creative thinking,” he said at the KKDW Monthly Assembly and Innovation and Quality Day Celebration today.

Ahmad Zahid, who is also marking his second year leading the KKDW today, said that only through continuous innovation can the delivery system be strengthened, thus ensuring the overall prosperity of rural communities.

As such, he urged KKDW personnel to generate more innovative ideas that can become key drivers of rural development, in line with the Desa MADANI Aspiration that he introduced, which focuses on four key thrusts namely Skills and Knowledge; Effectiveness and Efficiency; Data and Digital; and the Wow-Factor.

In his speech, Ahmad Zahid also highlighted several outstanding achievements by KKDW throughout the year.

In education, he said the TVET Tahfiz programme has successfully trained 1,366 students as of October 2024, exceeding the original target of 1,217 students, while the KEMAS Pre-Tahfiz programme has produced 54,885 children who are capable of mastering more than 10 surahs of the Quran, approaching the target of 62,175 children.

Besides, he said 104 Orang Asli students excelled in the 2023 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination, scoring 5A or more, while 37 others obtained a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 2.80 and above in the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM).

From an economic perspective, he said KKDW has recorded encouraging performance with the implementation of the TVET Technopreneur Programme which trained 1,486 graduates, achieving 135.1 per cent of its target.

The Rural Entrepreneurs Digitalisation Programme has also assisted 1,224 entrepreneurs in utilising e-commerce platforms across five strategic locations, he said.

In rural infrastructure development, he said the FELCRA Jayaputra Biogas Project has been recognized as the largest plant in Malaysia. Additionally, 1,200 new homes have been built under the Rakyat Sejahtera Housing Programme (PPRS), while 5,602 homes have been repaired.

At the same time, Zahid also urged the statutory bodies under KKDW to apply new technologies and innovations in their projects and programmes.

-- BERNAMA