Government focusing on empowerment of rural economic development

The government is adopting a new approach by focusing on empowerment of rural economic development so that the rural communities enjoy a life comparable to the urban population. Minister of Rural and Regional Development Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal said the new approach was made after considering the loyalty of the rural population to the Barisan Nasional (BN) in the 13th general election (GE13). "In the GE13, 120 of the 133 seats won by the BN was contributed by people in rural areas. So the rural population cannot be ignored and focus must be given to strengthen the rural communities. "However, this does not mean that the government will marginalise the urban areas. The government feels that rural communities require more support to enjoy a better life," he said at 'Ihya Ramadan and Berbuka Puasa' with people of Kampung Sungai Tengas at Masjid Al-Falah, Serdang, near here yesterday. Shafie said the development strategy focuses on blending basic infrastructure such as roads, water and electricity supply with the rural economy. "My ministry will ensure that development planning for rural areas are complemented by economic activities that provide employment and generate more income. "The strategy also aims to reduce the migration of youths to cities so that the development of rural areas are not affected." Shafie said to fulfil the BN election pledge, the government is developing world class infrastructure via the 21st Century Kampung concept to boost rural transformation. For a start, a total of 29 villages were selected nationwide for the programme to bring rural communities to enjoy mainstream development. At the event, he approved an allocation of RM500,000 to build and repair 20 homes of the poor and repair rural roads in Kampung Sungai Tengas.