A sum of RM4 million has been set aside in Budget 2024 for the Rural and Regional Development Ministry to enhance the implementation of Rural Community Centre programmes nationwide, according to Deputy Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Rubiah Wang. She stated that as of November, 6,780 programmes had been carried out by 191 such centres across the country, benefitting 166,590 rural residents.
Wang mentioned that a further RM4.5 million has been allocated to empower Rural Community Centres nationwide, with the state of Sarawak having six centres that provided 162 programmes to 3,585 residents in the surrounding areas.
She described the Kota Samarahan Mobile Rural Community Centre in Kampung Tambirat as one of the ministry’s initiatives to improve the living standards and well-being of rural communities, and to bring services provided by government and private agencies to rural areas through the concept of “One Stop Multiple Services”.
Wang, who is also Kota Samarahan MP, highlighted the development of the MyPKD system to ensure improved operations and management and more efficiency in line with the development of digital technology. She also mentioned the implementation of the Mobile PKD this year to provide services more comprehensively and inclusively.
She noted that the Kota Samarahan Mobile PKD is the third such programme, following those in Gerik, Perak, and Nabawan, Sabah. Wang expressed plans to evaluate the effectiveness of the PKD to the rural community and consider holding more PKD Mobile in the future. – Bernama
