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NIK ZAFRI BIN ABDUL MAJID,
CONSULTANT/TRAINER
Email: nikzafri@yahoo.com, nikzafri@gmail.com
https://nikzafri.wixsite.com/nikzafri

Kelantanese, Alumni of Sultan Ismail College Kelantan (SICA), IT Competency Cert, Certified Written English Professional US. Has participated in many seminars/conferences (local/ international) in the capacity of trainer/lecturer and participant.

Affiliations :- Network Member of Gerson Lehrman Group, Institute of Quality Malaysia, Auditor ISO 9000 IRCAUK, Auditor OHSMS (SIRIM and STS) /EMS ISO 14000 and Construction Quality Assessment System CONQUAS, CIDB (Now BCA) Singapore),

* Possesses almost 30 years of experience/hands-on in the multi-modern management & technical disciplines (systems & methodologies) such as Knowledge Management (Hi-Impact Management/ICT Solutions), Quality (TQM/ISO), Safety Health Environment, Civil & Building (Construction), Manufacturing, Motivation & Team Building, HR, Marketing/Branding, Business Process Reengineering, Economy/Stock Market, Contracts/Project Management, Finance & Banking, etc. He was employed to international bluechips involving in national/international megaprojects such as Balfour Beatty Construction/Knight Piesold & Partners UK, MMI Insurance Group Australia, Hazama Corporation (Hazamagumi) Japan (with Mitsubishi Corporation, JA Jones US, MMCE and Ho-Hup) and Sunway Construction Berhad (The Sunway Group of Companies). Among major projects undertaken : Pergau Hydro Electric Project, KLCC Petronas Twin Towers, LRT Tunnelling, KLIA, Petronas Refineries Melaka, Putrajaya Government Complex, Sistem Lingkaran Lebuhraya Kajang (SILK), Mex Highway, KLIA1, KLIA2 etc. Once serviced SMPD Management Consultants as Associate Consultant cum Lecturer for Diploma in Management, Institute of Supervisory Management UK/SMPD JV. Currently – Associate/Visiting Consultants/Facilitators, Advisors for leading consulting firms (local and international) including project management. To name a few – Noma SWO Consult, Amiosh Resources, Timur West Consultant Sdn. Bhd., TIJ Consultants Group (Malaysia and Singapore) and many others.

* Ex-Resident Weekly Columnist of Utusan Malaysia (1995-1998) and have produced more than 100 articles related to ISO-9000– Management System and Documentation Models, TQM Strategic Management, Occupational Safety and Health (now OHSAS 18000) and Environmental Management Systems ISO 14000. His write-ups/experience has assisted many students/researchers alike in module developments based on competency or academics and completion of many theses. Once commended by the then Chief Secretary to the Government of Malaysia for his diligence in promoting and training the civil services (government sector) based on “Total Quality Management and Quality Management System ISO-9000 in Malaysian Civil Service – Paradigm Shift Scalar for Assessment System”

Among Nik Zafri’s clients : Adabi Consumer Industries Sdn. Bhd, (MRP II, Accounts/Credit Control) The HQ of Royal Customs and Excise Malaysia (ISO 9000), Veterinary Services Dept. Negeri Sembilan (ISO 9000), The Institution of Engineers Malaysia (Aspects of Project Management – KLCC construction), Corporate HQ of RHB (Peter Drucker's MBO/KRA), NEC Semiconductor - Klang Selangor (Productivity Management), Prime Minister’s Department Malaysia (ISO 9000), State Secretarial Office Negeri Sembilan (ISO 9000), Hidrological Department KL (ISO 9000), Asahi Kluang Johor(System Audit, Management/Supervisory Development), Tunku Mahmood (2) Primary School Kluang Johor (ISO 9000), Consortium PANZANA (HSSE 3rd Party Audit), Lecturer for Information Technology Training Centre (ITTC) – Authorised Training Center (ATC) – University of Technology Malaysia (UTM) Kluang Branch Johor, Kluang General Hospital Johor (Management/Supervision Development, Office Technology/Administration, ISO 9000 & Construction Management), Kahang Timur Secondary School Johor (ISO 9000), Sultan Abdul Jalil Secondary School Kluang Johor (Islamic Motivation and Team Building), Guocera Tiles Industries Kluang Johor (EMS ISO 14000), MNE Construction (M) Sdn. Bhd. Kota Tinggi Johor (ISO 9000 – Construction), UITM Shah Alam Selangor (Knowledge Management/Knowledge Based Economy /TQM), Telesystem Electronics/Digico Cable(ODM/OEM for Astro – ISO 9000), Sungai Long Industries Sdn. Bhd. (Bina Puri Group) - ISO 9000 Construction), Secura Security Printing Sdn. Bhd,(ISO 9000 – Security Printing) ROTOL AMS Bumi Sdn. Bhd & ROTOL Architectural Services Sdn. Bhd. (ROTOL Group) – ISO 9000 –Architecture, Bond M & E (KL) Sdn. Bhd. (ISO 9000 – Construction/M & E), Skyline Telco (M) Sdn. Bhd. (Knowledge Management),Technochase Sdn. Bhd JB (ISO 9000 – Construction), Institut Kefahaman Islam Malaysia (IKIM – ISO 9000 & Internal Audit Refresher), Shinryo/Steamline Consortium (Petronas/OGP Power Co-Generation Plant Melaka – Construction Management and Safety, Health, Environment), Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (Negotiation Skills), Association for Retired Intelligence Operatives of Malaysia (Cyber Security – Arpa/NSFUsenet, Cobit, Till, ISO/IEC ISMS 27000 for Law/Enforcement/Military), T.Yamaichi Corp. (M) Sdn. Bhd. (EMS ISO 14000) LSB Manufacturing Solutions Sdn. Bhd., (Lean Scoreboard (including a full development of System-Software-Application - MSC Malaysia & Six Sigma) PJZ Marine Services Sdn. Bhd., (Safety Management Systems and Internal Audit based on International Marine Organization Standards) UNITAR/UNTEC (Degree in Accountacy – Career Path/Roadmap) Cobrain Holdings Sdn. Bhd.(Managing Construction Safety & Health), Speaker for International Finance & Management Strategy (Closed Conference), Pembinaan Jaya Zira Sdn. Bhd. (ISO 9001:2008-Internal Audit for Construction Industry & Overview of version 2015), Straits Consulting Engineers Sdn. Bhd. (Full Integrated Management System – ISO 9000, OHSAS 18000 (ISO 45000) and EMS ISO 14000 for Civil/Structural/Geotechnical Consulting), Malaysia Management & Science University (MSU – (Managing Business in an Organization), Innoseven Sdn. Bhd. (KVMRT Line 1 MSPR8 – Awareness and Internal Audit (Construction), ISO 9001:2008 and 2015 overview for the Construction Industry), Kemakmuran Sdn. Bhd. (KVMRT Line 1 - Signages/Wayfinding - Project Quality Plan and Construction Method Statement ), Lembaga Tabung Haji - Flood ERP, WNA Consultants - DID/JPS -Flood Risk Assessment and Management Plan - Prelim, Conceptual Design, Interim and Final Report etc., Tunnel Fire Safety - Fire Risk Assessment Report - Design Fire Scenario), Safety, Health and Environmental Management Plans leading construction/property companies/corporations in Malaysia, Timur West Consultant : Business Methodology and System, Information Security Management Systems (ISMS) ISO/IEC 27001:2013 for Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya ISMS/Audit/Risk/ITP Technical Team, MPDT Capital Berhad - ISO 9001: 2015 - Consultancy, Construction, Project Rehabilitation, Desalination (first one in Malaysia to receive certification on trades such as Reverse Osmosis Seawater Desalination and Project Recovery/Rehabilitation)

* Has appeared for 10 consecutive series in “Good Morning Malaysia RTM TV1’ Corporate Talk Segment discussing on ISO 9000/14000 in various industries. For ICT, his inputs garnered from his expertise have successfully led to development of work-process e-enabling systems in the environments of intranet, portal and interactive web design especially for the construction and manufacturing. Some of the end products have won various competitions of innovativeness, quality, continual-improvements and construction industry award at national level. He has also in advisory capacity – involved in development and moderation of websites, portals and e-profiles for mainly corporate and private sectors, public figures etc. He is also one of the recipients for MOSTE Innovation for RFID use in Electronic Toll Collection in Malaysia.

Note :


TO SEE ALL ARTICLES

ON THE"LABEL" SECTION BELOW (RIGHT SIDE COLUMN), YOU CAN CLICK ON ANY TAG - TO READ ALL ARTICLES ACCORDING TO ITS CATEGORY (E.G. LABEL : CONSTRUCTION) OR GO TO THE VERY END OF THIS BLOG AND CLICK "Older Posts"


 

Tuesday, October 10, 2023

MALAYSIAN RESERVE - 10/10/2023 - RURAL DEVELOPMENT POLICY ACHIEVEMENTS CAN ONLY BE SEEN NEXT YEAR (2024)

Original Link :



I like to thank Malaysia Reserve and especially to Ms. Azalea Azuar for including me in this week's edition.



The lack of a treated water supply is a factor contributing to the failure of rural investment (pic: Bernama)


Despite the govt’s effort, there is still a wide gap between rural and urban areas especially in Kelantan, Kedah, Perlis, Sabah and Sarawak 

by AZALEA AZUAR 

THE Rural Development Policy 2023 (DPLB) has been facing significant challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic and political turmoil, with real achievement expected only in 2024. 

Noma SWO Consult associate partner Nik Zafri Abdul Majid said the policy’s hindrances have potentially resulted in a loss of at least two years of opportunity to implement it systematically. 

The economy’s main contributors during the two years are online businesses, slow recovery of the tourism industry and the sudden surge in food and goods delivery business. 

“Unfortunately, the two factors mentioned above cannot become benchmarks for the DPLB achievement. 

“The surge in telecommunication business was due to the work-from-home (WFH) policy, while the tourism industry may also involve rural areas such as revival of homestays and chalets and interest in purchasing rural products such as handicrafts and food,” he told The Malaysian Reserve (TMR). 

Meanwhile, the government under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has been reimplementing the DPLB by addressing issues such as rural youth migration, infrastructure and technology shortages, electrical supply and treated water, uncovered rural areas and flood risk. 

Nik Zafri said urban residents returning to rural areas due to high living costs, primarily pensioners, may struggle to contribute their skills and experience due to financial constraints. 

“The failure in rural investment such as establishing the manufacturing industry is due to lack of electric supply and treated water. 

“This has also created very limited job opportunities there which caused the migration of rural youths to urban areas,” he added. 

The DPLB was launched in 2019 and outlines three principles for rural development: Sustainability, inclusiveness and holistic approach. 

The policy aligns with existing policies like the National Rural Physical Planning Policy 2030. 

The initiative was launched by former Rural Development Minister Datuk Seri Rina Harun who aimed to provide treated water and electricity to 99% of rural populations by 2030. 

The plan includes 10 cores, 33 policy statements and 88 strategies, including a competitive economy, entrepreneurship, quality human capital, infrastructure, rural youth and women empowerment. 

Urban-rural Disparity 

Despite the government’s effort, Nik Zafri observed that there is still a wide gap between rural and urban areas especially in Kelantan, Kedah, Perlis, Sabah and Sarawak where the GDP is still the lowest. 

These issues have been attributed to government-linked water supply companies struggling with effective management due to political and financial issues, repeated flood disasters requiring better mitigation and lack of treated water facilities. 

Hence, Nik Zafri hoped that the current government would implement proper governance policies, conduct periodic assessments by third parties for impartiality, publicise results for improvement and reduce political appointments. 

“The Finance Ministry (MoF) has allocated billions of ringgit to ensure proper flood mitigation is taking place. However, there should be some control on development of flood-prone areas,” he said. 

Nik Zafri also suggested that the budget should be allocated towards building more treated water facilities, refining seawater reverse osmosis or desalination technology for industrial and public benefit, and replacing old underground piping, following Selangor’s proven long-term success. 

Since 2001, the Rural Development Ministry and Communications Ministry has been implementing Internet access infrastructure programmes in rural areas. 

However, three problems have been identified which are the lack of interest from rural youths, lack of skilled manpower to teach information and communications technology (ICT) literacy skills, and increased reluctance from rural people to participate in these initiatives. 

Therefore, Nik Zafri suggested providing suitable income for rural Internet centre (PID) trainers, establishing skilled centres in rural areas with affordable ICT technology and promoting self-taught ICT literacy skills for mobile and smartphone users. 

“Students and teachers should also play bigger roles in helping the rural community by starting with their own family members. 

“To do this, subsidised or affordable laptops or PCs, including more affordable 5G Internet access, should be provided and not merely depending on free wi-fi or subscription of phone-based Internet plans,” he said. 

Connectivity Still Lacking 

The Asli Co co-founder Lim Xin Yu said Internet and connectivity in rural areas need to be improved to allow ICT literacy. 

“Many villages have bad mobile data connectivity which makes it tough for students to study online. 

“Affordability of laptops and devices is also a key issue that hinders ICT literacy among Orang Asli,” she added. 

The Asli Co is a social enterprise which focuses on empowering the livelihoods of Orang Asli communities. 

It collaborates with 42 mothers from seven Orang Asli villages in Selangor, Perak and Pahang, who are producing over 10 different products, such as lavender eye pillow, hand sanitiser and hand-made “kuih” soap. 

Increasing Job Opportunities

Sunway University Business School economics professor Dr Yeah Kim Leng calls for reducing the urban-rural divide gap by raising the income level and standard of living, despite the challenges involved. 

Currently, the economy in the rural areas is related to natural resources such as agriculture and fishing in which the productivity is low. 

“To accelerate the development, we must enhance the deployment of technology to raise productivity, and the efficiency of more intensive use of the land to increase the different yields and productivity of the various crops,” he explained. 

Yeah shared that some rural areas in Sabah, Sarawak and the East Coast require road development policy. 

“To reduce the urban-rural divide, one key aspect would be to ensure that there are job opportunities which can be created in the rural areas, which is more difficult because generally industries and businesses tend to be concentrated in the urban areas,” he added. 

Therefore, it is crucial to identify suitable areas in the rural areas to concentrate on growth and expansion of industries. 

Yeah believed that communications and digitalisation can reduce the divides, as e-commerce activities can be conducted in a borderless world, allowing activities to be conducted regardless of location. 

However, advanced facilities, particularly in telecommunications and Internet infrastructure, are needed for successful operation. 

He said more than 70% of the population are currently living in urban areas. 

“The rural population has declined. It used to be around 70% in the 1960s. Now it has declined to less than 30%,” he said. 

Rural Development Programmes

Programmes that have been introduced by the Rural and Regional Development Ministry (KKDW) are the Rural Electricity Supply Programme (BELB), Village Street Light Programme (LJK), Rural Water Supply Programme (BALB), Rural Road Programme (JALB), Rural Connectivity Programme (JPD) and Social Amenities Programme (PAMS). 

Sabah aims for 99.9% rural electricity coverage by 2025 through BELB. 

On the other hand, the ministry and Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) have installed 29,487 lighting units in Peninsular Malaysia, including high-pressure sodium vapour (HPSV) and LED lights, with an allocation of RM32.1 million. 

The government has also implemented the Hardcore Poor Housing Programme (PPRT) to decrease rural poverty and enhance the quality of life for rural communities. 

Earlier this year, KKDW identified four main focus areas to enhance rural development, namely infrastructure, human capital, entrepreneurial and economic programmes, with a task force to ensure effective implementation. 


  • This article first appeared in The Malaysian Reserve weekly print edition


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