Mindef eyes idle military land for food security, veterans' welfare
KOTA TINGGI: The Defence Ministry (Mindef) is looking to utilise undeveloped Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) land to strengthen national food security and improve military veterans’ socioeconomic welfare.
The Defence Ministry (Mindef) is exploring the use of undeveloped military land to bolster national food security and enhance welfare for military veterans, according to Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin. The JanaVeteran Programme, in partnership with Boustead Plantations (BPlant), is a key initiative in this effort.
Nordin expressed concern over idle MAF land that has been left unutilized for up to 15 years due to the absence of development plans. The programme aims to create job opportunities and generate income for military veterans, keeping them productive post-retirement. With around 5,000 military personnel retiring annually, the JanaVeteran pilot project began with cultivating KayTi ginger at Ladang Telok Sengat.
Participants in the programme are assured a market for their produce, with BPlant committing to purchase their crops. Nordin envisions Kota Tinggi becoming a major producer of KayTi ginger, transforming the district into a food valley through this ginger cultivation. The JanaKomuniti Programme, a CSR initiative of BPlant backed by the Kota Tinggi Parliamentary Office, is centered around a clustered fertigation ginger farming project.
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