SRI AMAN – Under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP), the Village Transformation Programme (VTP) Sarawak has made significant strides in empowering rural populations through skills training and income generation initiatives.
Dato Sri Rohani Abdul Karim, advisor at the Premier’s Office overseeing rural projects and monitoring, said the programme, launched in 2022, exemplifies Sarawak’s commitment to nurturing self-reliant, inclusive and competitive rural communities.
Over RM5 million has been allocated under 12MP to run 20 phases of VTP, engaging 1,015 participants statewide.
The scheme offers seven core modules: culinary and pastry arts, electrical safety, fertigation and hydroponics, tailoring, and handicrafts.
According to Dato Sri Rohani, many beneficiaries have leveraged their newly acquired skills to establish small enterprises, from electrical repair services and tailoring shops to handicraft production and food supply to local markets.
These success stories underscore that VTP is more than a training programme; she described it as a holistic effort to uplift rural livelihoods.
At the closing ceremony for Series 4/2025 in Sri Aman Division, she noted that 51 participants from districts including Sri Aman, Lubok Antu, Lingga and Pantu completed selected courses in fertigation and hydroponic farming, bead & buri-skirt handicrafts, and culinary & pastry arts.
Also present were Saphian Morshidi (Director, Sarawak Implementation Monitoring Unit), Dr Nadianatra Musa (Chief Academic Officer, Academy of Industry & ESG, and VTP Coordinator), representatives from the Sri Aman Resident’s Office, Shariff Bujang (Sri Aman District Officer), and Frank Lani (Lingga District Officer).
In earlier phases, VTP has been reported to target traditional villages and longhouses in underdeveloped areas. Follow-up monitoring over a three-month period is built into its design to assess uptake and impact.
Moving forward, success will hinge on sustained support, marketing linkages, and ensuring that participants can turn skills into viable income streams.
If managed well, VTP could play a formative role in narrowing the rural-urban development gap in Sarawak.
