MALAYSIA, INDONESIA TO COOPERATE IN DEVELOPING BORDER AREA

By Mohd Nasir Yusoff

JAKARTA, Feb 17 (Bernama) -- Malaysia is prepared to share its experience
with Indonesia in developing impoverished villages at the common borders of both
countries, Rural and Regional Development Minister Muhammad Muhd Taib said.

He said Malaysia had put in place a systematic development programme
covering infrastructural development since the start of its First Malaysia Plan
(1956-1960).

Malaysia was also willing to share its experience in bringing economic
development to the rural areas through agencies like Felda and Risda, he added.

"On the other hand we can also learn from Indonesia especially in terms of
the diligence and the strong will among its people in developing their areas,"
he told Malaysian journalists here Monday.

He said Malaysia had been striving to enhance its human capital qualities,
not only among graduates of higher learning institutions but also among the
young generation in rural areas.

For this purpose, the government had launched the Rural Action Plan to
encourage village leaders to set the development direction of their villages, he
said.

The government, he said, provided the neccesary support, including
organising courses and visits to successful villages including those in
Indonesia.

Meanwhile, when delivering a keynote address at a one-day seminar on border
village development, he said, Malaysia had been successful in its social
engineering efforts through its five-year development programme.

"Felda, formed in 1956, Felcra (1966) and Risda (1973) are agencies tasked
to eradicate poverty and restructure the society," he said.

Felda (Federal Land Developmengt Authority) is how holding half-a-million
hectares of land which benefitted 112 families, with the loan from World Bank,
totalling US$273 million, had long been repaid, he said.

"Risda (Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority), is involved in
rubber replanting scheme on 1.2 million hectares, benefitting 630,000 people and
oil palm plantation totalling half-a-million hectares, benefitting 230,000
participants," he said.

Felcra (Federal Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority) had opened
220,000 hectares of oil palm plantation and padi field for the benefit of over
95,000 participants, he added.
-- BERNAMA