Hajiji (seated middle) together with village chiefs, JKKK members and other invited guests at the seminar.
KOTA KINABALU: Village chiefs and Village Development and Security Committees (JKKK) from around the state must carry out their roles as the government’s ‘eyes and ears’ at the ground level.
Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Mohd Noor said every village chief and JKKK member must act as the frontline of defence as they had the responsibility to keep their villagers informed, especially when it came to understanding government policies.
The Sulaman assemblyman further stressed that the village chiefs and JKKK members must also ensure that their villagers would not be persuaded by baseless accusation that had been thrown at the government.
“Village chiefs and JKKK members must defend government policies. If there are any baseless accusations, they must be able to defend the government. They must not just remain silent. They must explain it to their people,” Hajiji said at the closing ceremony of the Sulaman JKKK/JKDB seminar at the Grand Borneo Hotel on Tuesday.
As the 14th general election (GE14) is just around the corner, the roles of the village chiefs and JKKK at the ground level will become even more important, he said.
He further contended that the Barisan Nasional (BN) government had sacrificed so much for the people throughout the years and the country practised democracy, whereby an election would be conducted every five years.
“Village chiefs and JKKK must be sincere and honest in their work. They must not take their responsibilities lightly,” the Umno treasurer said, adding that being a JKKK member was not all about having projects.
During his speech, he also issued a warning to the JKKK members who did not attend the seminar, especially those without a proper excuse.
It is understood that the purpose of the seminar was to train the village chiefs and JKKK members, especially in terms of administration and how to deal with current issues.