KUALA LUMPUR, July 30 — Only five Rural Transformation Centres (RTC) nationwide will be retained, says Rural Development Minister Rina Mohd Harun.
She said the decision was made after considering the need for each RTC across the country.
“We have discussed the necessity for having RTCs in certain areas. We will only fight to retain five of these RTCs,” she said after an internal ministerial meeting with state representatives on rural and regional development.
The five RTCs to be retained are in Melaka, Pahang, Kedah, Johor and Terengganu.
RTCs in Perak, Kelantan and Penang will be returned to the Federal Agriculture Marketing Authority that owns the land.
“Some of them may just undergo rebranding, but some will be changed completely, it is up to the land owner,” she said.
Rina, who is also Pakatan Harapan Wanita deputy chief, added the Negri Sembilan RTC and two others in Sarawak will be returned to the state government.
“Deliberation ensued regarding these RTCs and we have decided these RTCs will be returned as there are Urban Transformation Centres nearby,” she said.
“We don’t want to have redundancies, this is also so we can be cost efficient.”
However, Rina said representatives of Sarawak have requested for their RTCs to be retained.
Separately, when asked about Majlis Amanah Rakyat’s (MARA) current position under her ministry, Rina said a decision could only come from the cabinet.
“Let’s wait and see what the cabinet decides,” she said.
It was previously reported that MARA and several other entrepreneur agencies were to be placed under the Entrepreneur Development Ministry.
It’s minister Mohd Redzuan Mohd Yusof said a decision on MARA, that is currently under Rina’s ministry, will be made within 100 days of the Pakatan Harapan administration.
