PERTANIKA JOURNAL OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

In Malaysia, rural areas are essential economic focal points for improving rural livelihoods and reducing the life quality gaps between urban and rural areas. To that extent, rural assets and resources, such as agricultural, entrepreneurial, business, and tourism, along with rural infrastructure and service centres, become important elements to further explore and assess for synergising rural change towards a modern approach. To our knowledge, no attempt has been made to assess rural development progress based on the transition towards a modern rural approach. Inspired by this, the study aims to offer a Malaysia modern rural ranking index, the Malaysia Assessment Measure for Modern Rural Development (MAMRD)—a missing link approach for assessing rural development progress towards a modern rural system. The MAMRD was validated based on focus group discussions (FGDs) on three case studies and finally constructed on the three dimension-objectives measure, comprising 13 criteria groups and 141 criteria, to rank a village in a MAMRD star rating index. Using the MAMRD for the rural assessment is reliable for assessing the rural performance towards the future niches of rural development in Malaysia—rural resilient-liveability-and-smart.

• Alabdali, S. A., Pileggi, S. F., & Cetindamar, D. (2023). Influential factors, enablers, and barriers to adopting smart technology in rural regions: A literature review. Sustainability, 15(10), Article 7908. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15107908

• Bruton, M. J. (2007). Malaysia: The planning of a nation. Persada.

• Curry, G. N., Nake, S., Koczberski, G., Oswald, M., Rafflegeau, S., Lummani, J., Peter, E., & Nailina, R. (2021). Disruptive innovation in agriculture: Socio-cultural factors in technology adoption in the developing world. Journal of Rural Studies, 88, 422–431. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2021.07.022

• Dasar Pembangunan Luar Bandar. (2018). Dasar Pembangunan Luar Bandar: Luar bandar sejahtera [Rural Development Policy: Prosperous rural areas] https://www.rurallink.gov.my/dasar-pembangunan-luar-bandar-dplb/

• Dasar Perancangan Fizikal. (2017). Dasar Perancangan Fizikal (DPF) Desa Negara 2030 [Rural Development Policy 2030]. https://myplan.planmalaysia.gov.my/portal-main/publication-details?id=2

• Economic Planning Unit. (2021a). National Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) policy. Prime Minister’s Department, Malaysia. https://www.ekonomi.gov.my/sites/default/files/2021-07/National-4IR-Policy.pdf

• Economic Planning Unit. (2021b). Twelfth Malaysia Plan 2021-2025: A prosperous, inclusive, sustainable Malaysia. Prime Minister’s Department, Malaysia. https://rmke12.ekonomi.gov.my/file/download/2021092855_executive_summary.pdf?path=fileUpload/2021/09/2021092855_executive_summary.pdf&name=Executive%20Summary.pdf

• Kusumo, R. A. B., Kurnia, G., Setiawan, I., & Tirtosudarmo, R. (2023). Migration and farmer household livelihood strategies: Factors influencing the decision to migrate. Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities, 31(1), 57-79. https://doi.org/10.47836/pjssh.31.1.04

• Malczewski, J. (1999). GIS and multi-criteria decision analysis. Wiley.

• Marescotti, M. E., Demartini, E., Filippini, R., & Gaviglio, A. (2021). Smart farming in mountain areas: Investigating livestock farmers’ technophobia and technophilia and their perception of innovation. Journal of Rural Studies, 86, 463–472. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2021.07.015

• Ministry of Rural and Regional Planning Development. (2010). Pelan Induk Pembangunan Luar Bandar [Rural Development Master Plan] [Powerpoint Slides]. SlideShare. https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/pelan-induk-pembangunan-luar-bandar-kklw/11504488

• Morris, J., Morris, W., & Bowen, R. (2022). Implications of the digital divide on rural SME resilience. Journal of Rural Studies, 89, 369–377. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2022.01.005

• Ngah, I., Preston, D., & Asman, N. (2010). Current planning priorities in rural villages in Malaysia learning from the new Malaysian Village Action Plans [Paper presentation]. The ISDA 2010, Montpellier, France. https://hal.science/hal-00525961

• Rami, A. A. M, Aziz, M. F. A., Nasharudin, N. A. M., & Rasdi, R. M. (2021). Characteristics and success factors of rural community leadership in Malaysia: A focus group analysis. Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities, 29(3), 1591–1609. https://doi.org/10.47836/pjssh.29.3.07

• Rashid, M. F., Ngah, I., & Misnan, S. H. (2019). Revitalizing rural areas in Malaysia: A framework for economic revitalization. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 385, Article 012004. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/385/1/012004

• Rashid, M. F. A. (2020). FGD and its application in a modern rural index measurement (MAMRD) [PowerPoint Slides]. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/346667201_FGD_and_its_application_in_a_modern_rural_index_measurement_MAMRD

• Rashid, M. F. A., Mokhtar, S., Kamaruddin, S. M., Kamar, M. A. A., Abdullah, S., & Ali, M. A. F. (2023). A GIS-based Sustainability and Highest-Best Use (SHBU) for Felda lands development planning decision-making. Planning Malaysia, 21(1), 444-458. https://doi.org/10.21837/pm.v21i25.1249

• Rashid, M. F. A., Muhamad, A. K., Rashid, K., Ahmad, A.L., & Azman, M. A. A. (2021). Formulation of a Malaysia modern rural development framework: Synergising rural for change. Planning Malaysia, 19(16). 14–26. https://doi.org/10.21837/pm.v21i25.1249

• Saaty, T. L. (1980). The analytic hierarchy processes. McGraw-Hill.

• Saaty, T. L., & Kearns, K. P. (1985). Analytical planning: The organization of systems. Pergamon Press.

• Salemink, K., Strijker, D., & Bosworth, G. (2017). Rural development in the digital age: A systematic literature review on unequal ICT availability, adoption, and use in rural areas. Journal of Rural Studies, 54, 360-371. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2015.09.001

• Shamsir, M. S. (2021). Malaysia Research Assessment (MyRA): Innovating the measurement of research performance [PowerPoint Slides]. MyRA Workshop. https://www.iium.edu.my/media/78354/MyRA%20Engagement_V1.6.-2021.pdf

• United Nations. (2015). Transforming our world: The 2030 agenda for sustainable development. https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/21252030%20Agenda%20for%20Sustainable%20Development%20web.pdf

• United Nations. (2021). World social report 2021: Reconsidering rural development. The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA). https://desapublications.un.org/publications/world-social-report-2021-reconsidering-rural-development

• Zavratnik, V., Kos, A., & Duh, E. S. (2018). Smart villages: Comprehensive review of initiatives and practices. Sustainability,10, Article 2559. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10072559