A total of six new Chinese villages in Perak will receive a new lease of life through an allocation of RM185,000 to implement various community revitalization projects this year.
Chairman of the State Domestic Trade, Cooperatives, Consumer Affairs and New Chinese Villages Committee, Woo Kah Leong said the allocation will be channeled through the New Chinese Village Empowerment Program 2025 which will be launched to restore heritage, boost the economy and attract the involvement of the younger generation in their original villages.
During a press conference on Thursday, Woo explained that 20 applications were received during the period between April 14 and May 16, but only six projects were selected after going through a strict screening process.
Among the projects that received allocations were the Pangkor Island Festival by the Eastern Cultural and Arts Organisation with a grant of RM50,000, followed by the charcoal industry rehabilitation project in Kuala Sepetang with RM30,000 and the Jalan Lama Revival Initiative in Matang with RM30,000.
Woo said that through a 'bottom-up' approach, the state government intends to make the community the main driver of development, making this approach not just an ordinary programme, but rather an integrated effort to save the unique identity of new villages from disappearing.
