KUALA LUMPUR, July 31 - A total of 62 programmes have been planned this year under six main focuses outlined by the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development (KKDW) in an effort to transform rural areas into prosperous, inclusive, sustainable and holistic communities.

Deputy Minister of Rural and Regional Development, Datuk Rubiah Wang said, these programmes can provide specific benefits for the communities in rural areas through the implementation of an agenda that involves the success of skill education as a driver of change, including the field of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

This, in turn, will increase the high-skilled human capital, especially within the rural communities.

“Transforming TVET as an important agenda through strengthening collaboration with the industry and also improving the TVET programme's quality to meet the government's target of achieving 35 percent of highly skilled workforce by 2030.

"Focusing on rural development and also empowering the role and function of subsidiaries under KKDW to achieve set goals, each planned programme has an implementation period that aligns with the provisions of regulations and implementation policies," Datuk Rubiah said.

She said this in a response to a question raised by Senator Datin Ros Suryati Alang, in the Dewan Negara.

Datuk Rubiah also explained that in order to achieve the goal, her party does not move in a 'silo' fashion, but instead establishes strategic cooperation with other agencies to ensure that rural development efforts can be carried out more comprehensively.

The Dewan Negara was also informed that a study by the Department of Statistics Malaysia found that there was a decrease in migration statistics from rural to urban areas, in addition to an increase in job opportunities in rural areas.