In all humility, I shall be most grateful for the opportunity to add to Tun Abdul Razak's legacy in an area that has not been given sufficient attention but which I believe is equally, if not more important, in the formulation and implementation of the Rural Development Programmes and the New Economic Policy.

This was Tun's conviction of the need for crucially important social research particularly in pursuing 'bottom-top' policies for sustainable holistic growth and development.

Tun is remembered by one commentator as a 'hands-on leader'. This is a very apt statement because even as Minister for Rural Development, Tun had set up a research division under Dr Agoes Salim with Professor Milton Barnett as advisor.

The objective was essentially to involve the 'rakyat' and the rural population in the dynamic and far-reaching rural development programmes. Tun directed that scientific social science research should be undertaken not only for formulation and implementation but also for the more important aspect of continued sustainable management.

Because the directorate did not have the necessary research personnel, qualified social development officers trained for work in rural settings were deployed from the then Social Welfare Ministry to oversee the entire research programme.

I was honoured to be selected as team leader and we were deployed to live and work in 'kampungs', Felda schemes and in the areas earmarked for double-cropping of padi in the Muda area. In all these areas the researchers acted as enablers and catalysts.

The successful results of these efforts led to the formation of village development workers in 'kampungs' (Kemas) and new villages, and the settler development division in Felda. Indeed, it needs to be pointed out that it was largely through the efforts of these workers that farmers agreed to double-crop padi at all in the then Muda Scheme. Tun highly commended the team for this successful achievement.

Tun also directed that trained social workers should also be deployed to facilitate the organisation of social institutions that were created as a back-up to the respective physical programmess and projects under the Red Book.

The Jawatankuasa Kemajuan Kampong (JKKK) served as a nerve centre for the coordination of all projects to be implemented on behalf of Farmers Organisations, Fishermen's Cooperatives, and women and youth groups.

These organisations worked successfully. Unfortunately, with the involvement of politicians and to some extent bureaucrats, together with the ailing health of Tun, all gradually led to the ineffectiveness of these institutions.