SRI AMAN: The Sarawak Government continues to strengthen rural community development through the implementation of various comprehensive initiatives involving social, infrastructure and educational aspects.

Deputy Minister for Education, Innovation and Talent Development, Datuk Francis Harden Hollis said that this holistic approach is important to ensure that the well-being of the people in rural areas continues to be secured in line with the state's progress.

He said this when officiating the Sri Aman District Council (MDSA) Community Development Programme here on Wednesday.

The programme, held in conjunction with the Community Cleanliness Campaign, aims to increase residents' awareness of the importance of cleanliness, safety and public health.

At the event, several financial aids were presented to support local community activities, including RM5,000 to the Kampung Kenyungan Village Development and Security Committee (JKKK), RM3,000 to the Women's Bureau, and RM2,000 to the Rukun Tetangga areas (KRT).

The Simanggang Assemblyman also officiated the Road, Drainage and Electricity Upgrading Project in the village, which involved several main components including the upgrading of the Tr. Siliver Garit long house which burned down (RM200,000), drainage works (RM150,000) and upgrading its electrical system (RM100,000).

To strengthen basic infrastructure, the government also channeled an additional RM120,000 under the Rural Transformation Programme (RTP) for road and drainage system repairs.

Datuk Francis also conducted a working visit to Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Batu Lintang, Undop in conjunction with the implementation of the Year 6 Dual Language Programme (UP-DLP) Assessment Test for English, Mathematics and Science subjects.

The visit was aimed at ensuring that the implementation of the test ran smoothly and complied with the procedures set by the Sarawak Ministry for Education, Innovation and Talent Development (MEITD).

A total of 12 candidates sat for the assessment at the school, assisted by three examination invigilators.

Overall, the test at SK Batu Lintang ran in an orderly and controlled manner.

"We want rural communities to continue to progress, be clean, safe and competitive, not only through infrastructure development, but also through education which is the foundation for the future of the younger generation," he stressed. -UKASnews