Rural Town Symposium 2025: Empowering Rural Development Beyond Infrastructure

The Ministry of Rural and Regional Development (KKDW), through the Institute for Rural Advancement (INFRA), organized the Rural Town Symposium 2025. The event aimed to evaluate the achievements of rural development and to strengthen the new philosophy under INFRA.

​Coinciding with INFRA's 29th anniversary, the two-day symposium was held at the Hilton Petaling Jaya Hotel and officiated by the Deputy Minister of KKDW, YB Datuk Hajah Rubiah binti Haji Wang.

​More than 300 participants attended the event, including government officials, community leaders, rural entrepreneurs, youth, women, academics, and representatives from NGOs and the industry. They had the opportunity to hear insights from a panel of speakers, including the KKDW Secretary-General, Datuk Muhd Khair Razman bin Mohamed Annuar.

​Rural Town Ideology: The Core of Holistic Development

​The symposium introduced the Rural Town Ideology ("Gagasan Bandar Desa"), a new narrative driven by KKDW for rural development. This ideology emphasizes that rural development is not solely focused on physical infrastructure, but also on the holistic formation of individuals with strong integrity and identity, in line with the Malaysia MADANI concept.

​Its main goal is to create a modern rural ecosystem that is inclusive, innovative, and competitive, thereby establishing rural areas as a vital pulse for national development.

​INFRA: A Center of Rural Excellence

​It is believed that the organization of this symposium will strengthen INFRA's role as a Center of Rural Excellence (C.O.R.E.). It also serves as a strategic platform for knowledge sharing and opens up broader avenues for collaboration between KKDW, state governments, community leaders, research institutions, and the private sector. This collaboration is crucial for the success of a holistic and sustainable rural development agenda.