KUNAK: The Ministry of Rural and Regional Development (KKDW) will implement the mini Rural Community Centre (PKD) mobile programme in remote areas, especially in Sabah and Sarawak, said its Deputy Minister Datuk Rubiah Wang.
She said the mini PKD mobile will be implemented following the same concept as the PKD Mobile but on a smaller scale, and the programme locations will be further from the town or in the rural areas.
“I will ensure that the Community Economic Development Section will implement the mini PKD mobile programme in several remote areas, especially in Sabah and Sarawak.
“The PKD allocation has been increased to RM5 million for next year compared to RM4 million this year, which will enable the establishment of mobile mini PKDs because we believe there are still remote areas where rural residents cannot access services, but we will come to them and provide the necessary services,“ she said.
She told reporters this after the inauguration of the Sabah PKD Mobile 2024 as well as the handing over of the Rural Entrepreneurship Enhancement Support (SPKLB) grants to five entrepreneurs here today, The event was also attended by Deputy Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Mohammad Yusof Apdal.
At the same time, Rubiah said the PKD Mobile, which was implemented from last year as one of the KKDW’s main programmes, will continue with the aim of expanding existing PKD services, including government department and private services in the form of mobile service counters to rural areas.
“The PKD Mobile will be improved from time to time and will be a game-changer in efforts to uplift rural communities,“ she said.
In addition, she said that the services at the 191 PKDs in the country will be enhanced from time to time in line with becoming training centres, women’s empowerment centres, product collection centres, including becoming product digitisation centres.
She said KKDW provides grant assistance to rural entrepreneurs, including the SPKLB grant worth RM5,000, and through this grant, training, capital, and business equipment are provided to help entrepreneurs ensure their products are upgraded.
She said the ministry will ensure the well-being and harmony of rural residents are preserved, for example, through economic development programmes including special technical training. This also opens up job opportunities for rural youth, as evidenced by the decrease in rural-to-urban migration due to the exposure and training provided.
Meanwhile, a SPKLB grant recipient, Ani Ganut, 54, who has been a food vendor for the past 10 years in Kampung Lormalong, wants to expand her kueh business by adding more kueh-making equipment.
“We only do business in the village, my child applied for this last year and thankfully I was given assistance. With patience and interest, I hope this business will prosper with the help we have,“ she said.
For Mohd Yusof Miru, 37, he expressed his gratitude to the government for its concern in helping rural entrepreneurs through the provision of a RM5,000 grant in the form of business equipment assistance, which helps reduce the cost of replacing new cooking equipment.
“I am a takoyaki vendor in Kampung Lormalong, and every year there are definitely items in my business that will get damaged, so the assistance with equipment provided by the government through the KKDW is very meaningful and helps village entrepreneurs like me,“ he said.
