File photo for illustration purposes
KUCHING: Sarawak will not endorse the proposed Village Community Management Council (MPKK) if it infringes the state’s constitutional rights, said Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg.
Met by journalists here today, he said the appointment of community leaders fell under the jurisdiction of the state rather than federal.
“Our Constitution is very clear. Ketua Kaum (community leaders) is within our rights,” he said after launching the state-level Women Day 2019 at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching here.
Abang Johari said there was no way that Sarawak would agree to the establishment of MPKK if Putrajaya touched on the state’s rights.
“It’s almost like the British last time, when they wanted to colonise Sarawak, they divided us. Divide and rule,” he added.
On Friday, Works Minister Baru Bian said the Pakatan Harapan (PH) federal government will go ahead with establishing the MPKK in villages in Sarawak despite protests from the state government.
He said the mechanism for the MPKK in Sarawak was not finalised yet but pointed out that it would be a system almost parallel to the Village Security and Development Committee (JKKK) system already in place in Sarawak.
Baru added that the MPKK system would not include those who are Ketua Kaum and Ketua Masyarakat.
When prompted for his hope for the national Budget 2020, Abang Johari said: “We’ll see the content of the budget first.”
Asked if he had wished for any specific allocations for Sarawak, the chief minister responded: “It depends on the federal government. If it gives allocation to Sarawak, we’ll say ‘Thank you’.”
The national Budget 2020 is scheduled to be tabled in Parliament on Oct 11.