A VILLAGE in Alor Gajah, Melaka is reaping the rewards of a freshwater fish farm partly funded through SejaTi Madani, producing about two tonnes of tilapia and catfish monthly.
Kampung Paya Rumput village development and security committee (JPKK) secretary Dzalin Ayub, 58, said they received RM100,000 from the Implementation Coordination Unit (ICU) of the Prime Minister’s Department (JPM) for the project in May 2024.
“After learning about the SejaTi Madani programme, I proposed it to the JPKK who agreed to expand the tilapia and catfish farm,” he told Bernama.
Dzalin also invested RM300,000 of his own money into the project located near Masjid Tanah town.
“From two canvas fish tanks, there are now 68 of 3,000-litre tanks as well as seven cement ponds and a reservoir spread over 0.2 hectares.
“Last year, we produced about 18 tonnes of fish and the profit was shared with the JPKK for its programmes.”
Beyond income, the project has also provided jobs with six village youths employed at the farm.
The local community, too, benefits from buying fish below market price.
Dzalin said the project’s success was recognised when it won third place at the 2025 National Development Awards under the Projek SejaTi Madani category.
“This initiative is more than just a source of income; it is about sharing expertise and empowering others to venture into aquaculture,” said Dzalin.
His knowledge and training on tank-based fish farming has already drawn interest from as far off as Singapore and Indonesia.
