PUTRAJAYA, July 1 — Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi expressed hope that Malaysia’s rural development agenda can be a model for Asean.
Zahid, who is also rural and regional development minister, said his ministry will elevate the rural development agenda to the regional stage when it hosts the Asean Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue on the Asean Master Plan on Rural Development again this October.
Malaysia will also host the Asean+3 Forum on Empowering Rural Women and Digitalisation.
“Let us use this platform to showcase our best practices and position Malaysia’s rural development agenda as both a regional aspiration and reference point. Malaysia must set an example for the entire region,” he said at the Rural and Regional Development Ministry’s (KKDW) monthly assembly here today.
Zahid said the KKDW has been given a major mandate this year to plan rural community development, with an allocation of nearly RM12 billion, of which RM3.37 billion has been spent to date.
He said the recently launched Desa Kirana initiative is being hailed as a game changer in the run-up to Visit Malaysia 2026.
According to him, the initiative aims to boost rural tourism and strengthen the local economy by empowering cultural heritage, natural attractions, traditional cuisine, handicrafts, and a variety of rural-based activities.
“I hope to one day see our rural gems — from Arau to Kudat; from Sabah’s interior to the coasts of Sarawak — emerge as world-class tourist destinations. Just like Lauterbrunnen in Switzerland, Hobbiton in New Zealand, Shirakawa-go in Japan, or Ubud in Bali: places that were once quiet but are now proudly on the global tourism map,” he said.
Zahid added that his ministry will organise a three-dimensional Mega Carnival, which will bring together three major events simultaneously — the Rural Entrepreneur Carnival, Felda Settlers’ Day, and the One District One Industry initiative.
“This marks another major shift — a strategic effort to elevate rural entrepreneurs and strengthen the rural entrepreneurship ecosystem at both the national and international levels,” he said.
Zahid urged all sectors involved to fully commit to the effort, not only to ensure the programme’s success but also to transform it into a new wave that would strengthen KKDW’s flagship initiatives.
Meanwhile, he also called on the ministry’s secretary-general Datuk Muhd Khair Razman Mohamed Annuar to review the existing training system to ensure KKDW personnel are equipped with current technological skills, including artificial intelligence and the latest digital systems.
“Once we begin mastering technology, I am confident that KKDW will take a leap forward and unite villages across the country. Rural transformation doesn’t begin elsewhere; it begins here, at KKDW,” he said.
Zahid expressed his appreciation for the dedication and hard work of KKDW staff throughout his 940-day leadership of the ministry, noting that their efforts have not only made a significant impact on national development, but have also translated into growing public support.
“I hope that in the next 940 days, KKDW will continue to earn not only recognition from the government, but also the support of stakeholders and the people — support shown through the ballot box, even without us needing to publicise our achievements, because they themselves feel the impact and are thankful,” he said.
— Bernama
