KUALA LUMPUR, April 21 — The state government, through the Selangor Agricultural Development Corporation (PKPS), has formed a strategic partnership with the Defence Ministry (MINDEF) to develop the ministry’s agricultural land and provide economic opportunities to Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) veterans.
Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari said the pioneering programme focuses on veterans’ welfare and continued survivability by providing income sources in the modern agrofood sector.
He explained that the pilot project involves around 20ha of land in several locations including Kuala Selangor.
“This partnership is meant to develop agricultural land with a modern approach, in addition to helping MAF veterans earn and improve their quality of life after retirement.
“The project could be expanded to more areas with MINDEF land if it shows encouraging results,” he said at Defence Services Asia (DSA) 2026 here today.
Amirudin added that 40 veterans will be involved in the starting phase, with each participant given the opportunity to work the land systematically and using technology.
“This programme focuses on crops like fertigation (method) chillies and smart farming to improve yield and efficiency,” he explained.
The menteri besar said that experience with previous projects, including from the National Institute of Public Administration (INTAN) in Petaling Jaya, will be employed in training this round’s participants.
“Military veterans will be exposed to technology handling skills and modern agriculture management to ensure they are more prepared and competitive.
“Yield from the project will be marketed, with earnings channelled directly to participants as their main source of income,” he added.
Amirudin also said the partnership is a continuation of various PKPS initiatives, including the Ehsan Mart programme.
