Community leaders allowances will still be paid by the State govt – Uggah

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State Government pays community leaders and village chiefs their allowances despite the directive from MRRD.

KUCHING: The allowances of Ketua Kampung (village chiefs) and the Ketua Masyarakat (community leaders) are still paid by the State Government of Sarawak, despite the directive from the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development (MRRD) to postpone any form of appointments, transfers, allowances and others.

The letter from the ministry was received by the State Government on May 17, 2018.

Deputy Chief Minister, Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah anak Embas said, that the State Government received the letter to inform them that in view of the last GE14 which has resulted in the reshuffle of the country’s leadership and cabinet in Malaysia, it has also affected the community leaders and village chiefs.

The letter which was signed by the Deputy Chief Secretary of the ministry, Norison Ramli, further elaborated that with regards to any form of appointments, transfers, allowances and others for the community leaders and village chiefs, they have to be temporarily postponed until further notice.

“With effect from the said date, all allowances for the community leaders and the village chiefs are paid by the State Government.

“As for the Minister of Works, Baru Bian statement on allowances for the community leaders and the village chiefs that there are allocations of RM35 million from the Federal Government, I am not sure where he (Baru) got it from,” said Uggah.

Uggah said this when met after launching the International Conference on Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Sarawak (ICAAS) 2018 at the Penview International Convention Centre (PICC) near here, today.

Uggah, who is also the minister of Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development said he shared the same views as what has been said by the Assistant Minister of Local Government, Datuk Penguang Manggil in The Borneo Post today.

In report today (Page 6 of Print on Oct 23), Penguang said that the directive to prohibit community leaders from attending programmes was not organised by the Sarawak government but had instead come about due to the federal government’s own doing.

“You should read what Dr Penguang has mentioned, as it is a fact. For example, the Information Department no longer gives us the services. Before if there is any function, they will serve us, but now no that is no more. Same goes with JASA which has been dissolved, and KEMAS officers cannot be used by us now.

“I think it is only right for the state government to respond like in terms of village chiefs and community leaders, so that they are given the right feedback and so on, from time to time. Thats why I think the circular comes about.

“I think we are not the ones who started it,” he said.

As for the news about GPS members being unable to attend certain school functions, Uggah confirmed it to be true as some areas are indeed banned to GPS members.

“They have to get permission, which is also very sad because we are also helping the school, the students are our people, we would like them to be given the opportunity to communicate with them.

“Some of the YBs found out that they have problems in attending certain school functions,” he said.