BY: IDAYU RAHIM

While urbanites in the Klang Valley and in cities and towns in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak are enjoying the fruits and success of development, the rural and interior areas of the nation are considered backward and lacking in progress.

This mismatch of development goes to show that there is a certain neglect in developing the rural and interior areas of the nation to keep pace with the tremendous pace of economic growth in suburban and urban areas.

This potentially raises a scenario that there will be a vast schism or yawning gap between the urban, suburban, rural and interior areas of this country which is important for the imbalance to be addressed by the government.

Focus should start to shift preferably from urban and suburban development towards the rural and interior areas to bring these parts onto the mainstream of national growth and development for all Malaysians to enjoy a high Quality-of-Life.

While the lure and the wild attraction of rural and interior areas is a boon to the tourism industry, they should be preserved and not included in development plans to ensure a healthy balance in the environment of the country.

But the government should strive for the sustainable development of rural and interior areas as far as possible so they do not lag or fall behind but are able to keep pace with the overall growth and development of the country.

-THE MALAYSIA VOICE

** The views expressed on this opinion is of the writer and not the publisher