Rural Communities Hold Untapped Potential As Inventors, Innovators

KUCHING, Sept 7 (Bernama) — Villagers and rural communities hold untapped potential to become inventors and innovators as such roles are not limited to experts or scientists, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.

Fadillah said the Jejak Inovasi Sosial (Social Innovation Trail) programme organised by the Malaysian Innovation Foundation (YIM) is a platform to uncover such talents, as it identifies, guides and assists local innovators in rural areas to develop their ideas for the benefit of the community.

“Any of us can become an inventor or innovator, as long as there is creativity in thinking about how to solve problems around us, whether at home, in the workplace, or in the village.

“For example, the process of making kek lapis (layer cake) takes a long time. If we can think of ways to speed up the process without compromising taste and quality, that is already a step towards innovation,” he said when officiating at the Sarawak zone Jejak Inovasi Sosial programme in Kampung Gita Baru here today.

Fadillah, who is also Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation, said YIM’s grassroots approach enables real problems faced by communities to be identified directly and addressed with more practical and effective solutions.

He also urged the local communities, who are more familiar with the issues and challenges in their areas, to collaborate with researchers and relevant agencies to find solutions on a larger scale.

Meanwhile, YIM chief executive officer Dr Sharmila Mohamed Salleh said the Jejak Inovasi programme was introduced in Malaysia in 2011 as an in-situ initiative to track community innovations that developed organically and dynamically in addressing economic, social and environmental issues.

In 2025, the programme was rebranded as Jejak Inovasi Sosial with a more structured approach, based on the 4D ‘Discover, Develop, Disseminate and Diffuse’ methodology.

Among the community outreach programmes organised are MyIS Komuniti, MyIS Akar Umbi, Youth Innovative Challenge (YIC) and Innovation Catalysts (ICATs).

“This approach allows us to explore and comprehensively assess various social, economic and environmental issues, while also identifying innovative products and young social innovation talents, particularly for the Sarawak zone,” she said.

The final edition of the programme for this year also included visits to handicraft centres, water pollution research and rehabilitation facility, handmade skincare product workshop, as well as chilli and lettuce fertigation farms.

— BERNAMA

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