Awang Tengah, flanked by Paulus (left) and Dr Rahman (extreme right), handing over appointment letter to one the community leaders in Limbang Division.
LIMBANG: Limbang District is reportedly the first in the state to require all village development and security committees,JKKKs and community leaders for a performance report and feedback to facilitate greater efficiency and people-centric performance demanded of them.
Second Minister of Resource Planning and Environment Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said this at the opening ceremony of Limbang Village Development and Security Committee and community leaders cooperation meeting 2016 which was attended by over 500 representatives yesterday.
“Limbang District Office is the first to present JKKKs and community leaders report and provide feedback to promote greater efficiency, transparency and communication in their respective areas,” he said.
Awang Tengah said grassroots leaders must keep their people well informed of the government’s plans and policies to ensure that the people fully supported and participated in the development programmes in their respective areas.
“You must also be planners who sit down with the people to look into their needs and requests as it is wrong to rely totally on government agencies when you know your own turf better than outsiders,” he said.
He said their appointment was a big responsibility and integrity-driven to meet the expectations of their office , including verification of applicants for documents from the National Registration Department as false declaration could compromise security.
“You must have the courage to report crimes to the authorities and have good ties with the relevant agencies,” he said.
Bukit Kota Assemblyman Dr Abdul Rahman and Paulus Palu Gumbang (Batu Danau) who also spoke at the function said community leaders played important roles in the development and safety of their villages.
They also called for transparent administration of JKKKs and proper utilisation of funds allocated for the development of their villages and longhouses.
“Some JKKK chairmen are afraid to spend the money even though there are tens of thousands of ringgit in their account because they are afraid of being audited, but the money is meant to benefit the people under them,” Paulus said.
Limbang District Officer Hamdiah Bakir urged the JKKKs to hold regular meetings and submit their reports to her office promptly.
Also present were Assistant Minister of Public Utilities and Assistant Minister of Agriculture Datuk Sylvester Entri Muran, Limbang Resident Datu Maria Hasman, heads of government departments and agencies and community leaders.