HLC meeting agrees on Rural Youth Development Programme for leadership, mental health, sports and volunteer training in rural areas.
PUTRAJAYA: The Rural Development High-Level Committee meeting has agreed to implement the Rural Youth Development Programme as a comprehensive platform for leadership, mental health, sports and volunteer training.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the approach will coordinate all youth programmes by utilising ministry and agency assets in rural areas.
He stated his ministry will continue strengthening the rural development agenda through HLC meetings as the country’s highest platform for coordinating rural policies.
“Today’s meeting outlined several cross-ministry strategic steps that will drive rural development towards a more modern, inclusive and resilient ecosystem,” he said.
The HLC also stressed the need to close development gaps by improving education access, economic opportunities and digital integration across all regions.
In early education improvements, the committee announced efforts to readjust all early education in Felda areas.
This begins with closing 224 Family Literacy Centres gradually and transferring over 3,200 students to KEMAS facilities with standard curriculum and accredited staff.
KEMAS will also expand Tunas Istimewa kindergartens in Felda areas for autistic children to ensure inclusive education for all rural residents.
The HLC will support strategic partnerships to expand entrepreneurial training, product certification and digital marketing for settlers.
It will also utilise unused Felda assets as skill training centres to benefit over 112,000 settlers.
“The meeting also agreed to expand participation of Felda entrepreneurs in mainstream programmes including the Rural Business Challenge and Gate-to-Global,” Ahmad Zahid said.
The HLC has mandated development of a National Rural Development Data Dashboard as the main administrative instrument for identifying service gaps.
This will reduce overlapping functions and ensure policy decisions are based on real-time data.
All agreed measures will strengthen the HLC’s four major focuses: making rural areas career centres, driving techno-entrepreneurship, improving rural agencies and boosting rural tourism.
These efforts aim to accelerate development gap closure and sustainably enhance rural community wellbeing.
