Rural communities empowerment to remain main agenda of KPLB - Mahdzir

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid, who officially began his duties as Rural Development Minister today, promised to ensure that the agenda of empowering the rural communities continues to be a priority.

Mahdzir said the appointment was a huge responsibility to ensure the smoothness of the administration as well as the development of the rural areas and the communities.

"I am also committed to carrying out this trust and responsibility with sincerity, honesty and integrity to ensure our country continues to move forward, especially in our efforts to address the COVID-19 pandemic," he said in a statement today.

Mahdzir was among 30 ministers and 37 deputy ministers who took the oaths of office before the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah at the Istana Negara today.

The Padang Terap MP also expressed his gratitude to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and UMNO leadership for giving him the trust to lead the ministry.

Meanwhile, KPLB in a separate statement congratulated Mahdzir as well as Deputy Minister I Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Mohamad and Deputy Minister II Datuk Hasbi Habibollah on their appointments.

-- BERNAMA