AGRIBUSINESS is among five sectors that will be given focus in Kedah if unity government components are given the mandate to administer the state, said Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

He said tahfiz schools, technical and vocational education and training (TVET), water supply, and telecommunication services are the other sectors that will be given special attention in order to develop human capital and boost development.

“The focus on agribusiness will involve not only food security and maintaining Kedah’s position as a rice bowl state, but also enhancing productivity among padi entrepreneurs.

“For this, Mada (Muda Agricultural Development Authority) will definitely find new methodologies to increase productivity. Padi farms should be helped not only in terms of prices, but also fertiliser and other kinds of aid,” he said.

Zahid, who is also Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman, told reporters this after opening the Kedah Unity Convention in Alor Setar today. Also present were Kedah Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman Mahfuz Omar and Kedah BN chairman Mahdzir Khalid.

On tahfiz schools, Zahid said students in Kedah will be guided to higher levels of education, especially in TVET, apart from maintaining their command of Quran studies.

“I have mentioned the federal government is committed to helping all tahfiz school students without marginalising Chinese schools and other types of schools. This means helping tahfiz schools achieve higher academic levels.

“UniKL and other universities under the Rural and Regional Development Ministry are committed to helping them go all the way to the PhD level,” he said, adding there are about 9,000 tahfiz students in Kedah.

Zahid said the government will help unregistered tahfiz schools in Kedah to obtain registration. 

On TVET, he said the focus would be on establishing a TVET college under the Kedah Regional Development Authority and strengthening existing TVET institutions.

“For the 1,291 TVET institutions throughout the country, the government spent RM6.8 billion. Surely, Kedah will not be marginalised. We will empower (the state) with several enhancement programmes and courses relevant to the manpower needs of the market,” he said.

On water issues, Zahid assured that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will personally handle the issue of domestic water supply, while telecommunication services in the rural areas would be strengthened, including with 5G coverage. 

“I have stressed rural areas should be part of roaming 5G coverage. I myself will be monitoring this. This is our resolve if we take over Kedah (in state polls this year),” he said. – Bernama, May 21, 2023.