PUTRAJAYA: The Rural and Regional Development Ministry must focus on delivering tangible outcomes for rural communities, rather than just ensuring projects are completed, says Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also Rural and Regional Development Minister, said the ministry must speed up initiatives that bring significant benefits to the people, expand programmes that show strong results, resolve implementation issues and discontinue projects that are no longer relevant.
"We must move from a culture of saying 'the project has been implemented' to 'the people's problems have been solved'," he said in his speech at the ministry's monthly assembly on Thursday (June 4).
Ahmad Zahid stressed that rural development should be viewed as an interconnected ecosystem where infrastructure, economic opportunities, education, skills development and entrepreneurship work together to improve livelihoods.
"Infrastructure opens access. The economy creates income. Education develops people. Skills create employment opportunities. Entrepreneurship expands markets.
"When all these move together, only then can rural areas truly become a platform for social mobility and a source of future national strength," he said.
Ahmad Zahid said the yearly mid-term review should serve as a reflection of the ministry's effectiveness.
"Organisations that are unwilling to evaluate themselves risk losing direction, straying from their original purpose and ultimately failing to address the real needs of the people," he said.
As such, Ahmad Zahid said the review must be evidence-based, objective and focused on results.
"The greatest weakness of an organisation is not admitting it has problems.
"The real weakness is knowing problems exist but lacking the courage to act," he said.
