RURAL ENTREPRENEURS' CARNIVAL, FELDA SETTLERS' DAY TO BE JOINTLY HELD NEXT YEAR - AHMAD ZAHID

SERDANG, July 14 (Bernama) -- Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said that the Rural Entrepreneurs’ Carnival (KUD) will be jointly held with the Felda Settlers’ Day next year, aiming to attract two million visitors.

Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Minister of Rural and Regional Development, said that the event will be organised by his ministry, leveraging their experience from organising the ninth edition of KUD last year.

“Insya-Allah, next year, together with the secretary-general of the Rural and Regional Development Ministry (KKDW) (Datuk Muhd Khair Razman Mohamed Annuar), Felda Settlers’ Day will receive support from KKDW.

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“If KUD@Putrajaya attracted 1.5 million visitors last year, combined with the support from the first to the fifth generation of Felda settlers, insya-Allah, we aim to attract two million visitors to Felda Settlers’ Day next year,” he said.

Ahmad Zahid said this at the presentation ceremony of the Felda Settlement Excellence Award (AKRF), Exemplary Mosque Award (AMC), and the Tokoh Imam Felda Award (ATIF) in conjunction with Felda Settlers’ Day 2024 held here today.

The Felda Settlers’ Day 2024 celebration, held at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS) for three days from July 12, marks a significant expansion from its previous format as a one-day event. This year, it aims to attract 500,000 Felda settlers, the new generation of Felda, and the general public.

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Additionally, KUD, an annual event under the KKDW, serves as a platform for local entrepreneurs nationwide to showcase high-quality products and expand their businesses.

Addressing educational empowerment for Felda's younger generation, Ahmad Zahid said apart from the government's introduction of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), he also wants the settlements’ younger generation to master religious knowledge from an early age.

For that purpose, he proposed implementing a Pre-Tahfiz programme in Felda kindergartens, similar to the one by the Community Development Department (Kemas), to provide early Quran education and empower children.

“I want to expand religious education for Felda's younger generation, ensuring early exposure to Quran memorisation,” he said.

“This is to ensure that they appreciate Islamic values ​​from an early age,” Ahmad Zahid said, emphasising his aspiration for Felda to nurture professional huffaz (Quran memorisers).

On Nov 9, Ahmad Zahid reportedly said that KKDW will introduce the Pre-Tahfiz programme in 10,843 Kemas kindergartens to empower children with Quran education with an allocation of RM20 million.

Pre-Tahfiz at Kemas kindergarten initiative aims to enhance Quran education and add value to the existing module (Islamic Education Appreciation).

Ahmad Zahid highlighted that this initiative is part of Felda's transformation process, aligned with the goals of the Unity Government, and he hopes to receive full cooperation from relevant agencies.

“The transformation we envision goes beyond what I have mentioned. We are committed to these efforts under the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim,” he said.

-- BERNAMA