Since Malaysia became independent from British rule in 1957, rural development has always been considered important in the agenda of national development. Many strategies and programmed were introduced to promote the well-being of rural people ranging from development of the agriculture sector, rural industrialization, resettlement schemes, provision of public facilities and infrastructure to human and community development. Rural development can be seen as a process of change carried out deliberately for the betterment of rural people.
The process of change is continuous, and its essentially interventionist aims are to achieve certain goals or to solve problems of the rural areas. As a process of induced change led by the state, rural development activities covered elements such as planning, implementation, monitoring and involved multi-disciplinary actors, such as state agencies, the private sector, NGOs and the general public. Due to the nature of rural development activities with overriding state interventions, rural development in Malaysia tended to be viewed as synonymous with the state rural development strategies and programmers aimed at solving problems facing rural sectors such as poverty, low productivity, low income, lack of proper and adequate rural infrastructures and the rural-urban disparity that existed prior to independence.
The process of change is continuous, and its essentially interventionist aims are to achieve certain goals or to solve problems of the rural areas. As a process of induced change led by the state, rural development activities covered elements such as planning, implementation, monitoring and involved multi-disciplinary actors, such as state agencies, the private sector, NGOs and the general public. Due to the nature of rural development activities with overriding state interventions, rural development in Malaysia tended to be viewed as synonymous with the state rural development strategies and programmers aimed at solving problems facing rural sectors such as poverty, low productivity, low income, lack of proper and adequate rural infrastructures and the rural-urban disparity that existed prior to independence.
During the decades after independence, much effort and many resources were spent to improve the well-being of rural people ranging from development of infrastructure and facilities, modernisation of rural sectors through the use of modern techniques of production, agriculture support services, integrated area development and institutional development.
An assessment of the success and shortfall of implementation and outcomes has been widely discussed and debated by researchers and practitioners in the field. The discourses on rural development tended to fall within the theoretical framework of development economics, focusing on the dichotomy between modernisation theory and technocratic approach on one hand and reformist and political economy on the other. The approach to rural development appeared to be problem oriented and focused on the basic needs of the poor sections of the community. The extent of rural development in the future is expected to look into the potential and strength of our rich rural heritage and to venture into the future guided by rural vision.
An assessment of the success and shortfall of implementation and outcomes has been widely discussed and debated by researchers and practitioners in the field. The discourses on rural development tended to fall within the theoretical framework of development economics, focusing on the dichotomy between modernisation theory and technocratic approach on one hand and reformist and political economy on the other. The approach to rural development appeared to be problem oriented and focused on the basic needs of the poor sections of the community. The extent of rural development in the future is expected to look into the potential and strength of our rich rural heritage and to venture into the future guided by rural vision.
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