TANGKAK: The Rural Development Ministry (KPLB) has identified 28 poor districts in the country that must be given special attention for the implementation of socio-economic development programmes.
Its minister, Datuk Seri Rina Harun (pix) said they included the development of insfrastructure, improving their income, education and so on to enable the residents in the area to come out of the clutches of poverty.
She said among the districts identified were Tumpat in Kelantan, Yan in Kedah besides several others in Sabah and Sarawak, thus KPLB would give emphasis to provide aid besides cooperating with other relevant agencies and departments in raising the socio-economic standard of the residents.
“We have identified the areas that need to be given special emphasis including education as the specified target of the ministry where 67 per cent of rural children from families belonging to the B40 group will be placed in Maktab Rendah Sains Mara (MRSM) besides entrepreneurship programmes and various other initiatives for them,” she said.
She was approached by reporters after officiating the “Seminar Usahawan Muslimah” (Muslim Women Entrepreneurs Seminar), at the Kolej Kemahiran Tinggi Mara (KKTM) Ledang, Tangkak here today, and the seminar organised by Persatuan Muslimah Johor (Johor Muslim Women Association) attended by about 200 participants to provide exposure to petty traders and hawkers on business module and strategy.
Meanwhile, Rina said the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government was committed to champion the cause of the people including the Aborigines in Cameron Highlands although the PH candidate had lost in the by-election for the Parliamentary constituency yesterday,
She said that she pledged not to neglect the residents in the area by making political differences as the boundary.
“The need to raise the socio-economy of the community in particular must be given priority. We have felt this hardship before becoming the government and will not make the same mistake,” she added. — Bernama
