Ismail Sabri: New duty comes with heavier responsibilities

PUTRAJAYA: Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob (pix), who started his duty as Rural and Regional Development Minister today, said his responsibilities would now be heavier because he needed to also focus on entrepreneurship and rural infrastructure development.
The former Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister said his vision was to prioritise the enhancement of basic infrastructure development such as water supply needs, particularly in Sabah, Sarawak and the Orang Asli villages.
"Apart from physical development, we will also focus on efforts to improve the rural economy because without economic development, the physical development will mean nothing to the people," he told a press conference at the ministry, here.
Ismail Sabri, who arrived at the ministry at 10am, was welcomed by the secretary-general Datuk Seri Ibrahim Muhamad, top management and personnel.
He was given a briefing and then chaired a meeting. Ismail Sabri replaced Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, who was dropped in a cabinet reshuffle on Tuesday. – Bernama