MELAKA: Higher household incomes, better family wellbeing and more self-reliant communities should be the yardstick of success for the Community Development Department (Kemas), says Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
The Deputy Prime Minister said the department must move beyond counting programmes, participants and allocations spent to assess whether its efforts were improving people’s lives.
“Measure real change. Has income increased? Are families better off? Are communities more self-reliant?” he said when officiating the Kemas Convention at a hotel here on Tuesday (Oct 27).
Ahmad Zahid, who is also Rural and Regional Development Minister, outlined three priorities for Kemas, namely, developing a community development policy framework, broadening engagement and reviewing how success is measured.
“Combine the findings of all seven clusters into a single framework that sets out priorities, targets and measurable actions,” he said.
He said policies must reflect realities on the ground, with input from Kemas facilitators, community leaders, academics, the private sector and the public.
"A good policy must be rooted in the realities of people’s lives,” he said.
Ahmad Zahid said the convention must produce more than resolutions on paper, stressing that its outcomes should be translated into policies and action with measurable results.
He also called for clear implementation responsibilities and a structured monitoring mechanism to ensure follow-through.
Urging Kemas to remain at the forefront of change, Ahmad Zahid said the department must play a greater role in driving community progress.
"Do not just be programme implementers, but be catalysts for change,” he added.
