NGO reps for local councils – Hajiji

0

KOTA KINABALU: The Ministry of Local Government and Housing will consider appointing representatives from the various district-level hawkers and petty traders associations to sit in local councils (PBT) in Sabah beginning with its new term next year.

This was disclosed by Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Seri Hj Hajiji Hj Noor when he received a delegation from the Sabah Federation of Hawkers and Petty Traders Associations (GPPPK) at his office here on Thursday.

Hajiji who is chairman of the State Hawkers and Petty Traders Advisory Council (MPPPK), said this was important as hawkers and petty traders were found in every town or municipality.

“It is therefore only fair that hawkers and petty traders through their representatives in PBT know what is going on because every decision that the council makes may affect their livelihood,” he pointed out.

He said as MPPPK chairman, he had the duty to protect the interest of hawkers and petty traders within the confines of the law and it was about time that they too had a say in local councils and urged PBT to be more sympathetic towards them.

“Thus, beginning next year or next session, we may appoint a representative from the hawkers and petty traders association to sit in each PBT; if not all maybe at least the majority of the councils,” he said.

Present at the call were GPPPK chairman Hj Noortaip Hj Suhaili who is also Hajiji’s deputy in the advisory council, deputy GPPPK chairman Roslani Abdullah who also heads the Tuaran Hawkers and Petty Traders Association, and former deputy state secretary Datuk Noni Said.

Hajiji was appointed the advisory council chairman by the Federal Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs with the concurrence of the Sabah Chief Minister. The Sabah branch of the ministry acts as the secretariat of the council at state-level.