KUALA LUMPUR, July 26 — The sustainability of villages and rural communities will continue to be strengthened through the implementation of the Prosperous Village Aspiration programme launched by the Ministry of Rural Development (KPLB) today.

Its minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid said the effort involving villages, longhouses, Orang Asli and traditional villages throughout the country was aimed at creating villages with complete infrastructure in various aspects such as basic facilities, markets, health, education, human capital, entrepreneurship and social.

"The Prosperous Village Aspiration will be developed as a comprehensive socio-economic development programme to create village communities that are resilient, initiative, self-reliant, knowledgeable and with high level of work discipline for the villages’ development and well-being, as well as becoming an attraction for the tourism industry,” he said when speaking at the launch of ‘Aspirasi Kampung Sejahtera’, here, today.

"This effort is also to ensure that the aesthetic characteristics of a village encompass its natural resources such as rivers, mountains or waterfalls that are to be preserved and not be adversely affected under any circumstances,” he added.

On villages that are still lacking in terms of development, he said implementation of the initiative could also act as a platform to identify and channel allocations to intensify development activities such as for infrastructure and Internet access.

On the Prosperous Village Aspiration Competition which is open for six months from April to October 2022, Mahdzir said KPLB has identified villages that have the potential to be featured in the Prosperous Village Aspiration context.

"This competition is open to two categories, namely, Traditional Villages and Longhouses, under the administration of the Village Development and Security Committees (JPKK) or Federal Village Development and Security Committees (JPKKP) and another category is Orang Asli Villages under the Orang Asli Village Development and Security Committees (JPKKOA),” he said.

Also present at the event were KPLB Deputy Minister I Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Mohamad, KPLB Deputy Minister II Datuk Hasbi Habibollah, and KPLB Secretary-General Datuk Ramlan Harun.

Meanwhile, on the competition, Ramlan said a total of 126 village nominations had been received from two categories involving 112 traditional villages and longhouses submitted by the state governments, and 14 nominations from the Orang Asli villages submitted by the Orang Asli Development Department (JAKOA).

"The evaluation process will begin in mid-August with the winning village to be recognised as a Prosperous Village,” he added.

Earlier, Mahdzir also chaired the 54th Coordination Meeting between the Minister of Rural Development and State Excos for Rural Development to discuss issues related to the implementation of rural infrastructure projects and the national food security strengthening programme under KPLB.

He also announced a special allocation of RM500,000 for each exco for the implementation of development projects in their respective areas. — Bernama