MINISTRY ASKED TO DRAFT NATIONAL MASTER PLAN FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT

KOTA TINGGI (Malaysia), Oct 29 (Bernama) -- The Rural and Regional
Development Ministry has been asked to formulate a National Rural Development
Master Plan to speed up the development of villages nationwide.

Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said the plan would provide a
comprehensive direction, strategy and policy for the development of rural areas
including those in East Malaysia states of Sabah and Sarawak.

It should take into account the district and village action plans covering
all government departments and agencies, he said at the presentation of the
national-level Ilham Desa Awards 2009 in Kampung Mawai Baru here.

The formulation of the plan was one of five proposals submitted to the
ministry to look for alternative and new ways to develop the rural areas.

Muhyiddin said the second proposal involved the restructuring of the village
planning system at the district level with the district offices taking into
account the village action plans produced by villagers in development planning
for the respective districts.

He said the third proposal was for the ministry to set up a Village Plan
Guidance Group from among the villagers, including teachers, village development
and security committee members, government retirees and businessmen, thereby
enabling the plan to be extended faster.

Muhyiddin, who is also Education Minister, called for the synergy between
institutions of higher learning and the ministry to be stepped up to enable
undergraduates to make positive contributions in drafting a comprehensive plan.

The ministry should also consider his fifth proposal that human capital
development be given serious attention besides providing pre-school
opportunities to rural children.

"I hope that the Rural and Regional Development Ministry will always ensure
quality teaching and co-curriculum for children in the rural areas in line with
the Permata programme," he added.

He also wanted effective decision-making and employment of implementation
methods in matters relating to rural development.

To ensure an effective administration, he urged the ministry to adopt
drastic measures like enhancing partnerships with various parties in whatever
field and encouraging commitment and involvement of the community in making a
success of the various programmes.

He said the government always prioritised rural development by providing
allocations and programmes to develop the community and eradicate poverty among
them.

Earlier, in his speech, Rural and Regional Development Minister Mohd Shafie
Apdal said the ministry would focus attention on every aspect to ensure that the
village community continued to develop.

To raise the qulity of life of the rural folk, the government had allocated
RM2.3 billion (US$670.5 million) to build infrastructure in the rural areas as
announced in the 2010 budget, he said.

This year's Ilham Desa Award went to Kampung Kilim, Langkawi, for its Kilim
fishermen's economic project. Second place went to Kampung Gong Guchil, Besut
for its cultural project while Kampung Mawai Baru, Kota Tinggi in southern state
of Johor, was third with its endowment land development project.
-- BERNAMA