by Irene C
KUCHING: The federal government will appoint its own community leaders following a cabinet decision to revamp the current appointment system, said Housing and Local Government Deputy Minister Sivarasa Rasiah.
He said the mechanics will be discussed in detail at the ministerial level, with a target that it should be ready by Jan 1 next year.
“The decision by the cabinet is that we will be revamping the village community management council (MPKK) appointment in five states – Kelantan, Terengganu, Sarawak, Perlis and Pahang,” he explained when met after the launching of PKR Sarawak’s annual general meeting at a hotel here last night.
Sivarasa added that MPKK is replacing the village security and development committee (JKKK).
Last year, he said the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government had agreed that the appointment of community leaders be done by the respective state governments.
However, he pointed out that late last year, the Sarawak State Secretary had sent a letter warning all community leaders and their committee members not to attend PH-organised events.
He also gave an example where a community leader’s appointment was held via election but the winner was not appointed by the Sarawak government.
“Thus, the federal government will appoint its own community leaders – ones who have the support of the people.”
Asked if this would result in a longhouse having two village heads, Sivarasa said: “We will do our best to avoid that.”
“After all, we’re paying their salary. The money flow has always been there. In Peninsular Malaysia we are paying but because of the tension, I think the Sarawak government stopped accepting the money for a while.”
Meanwhile, Sivarasa stressed that PKR firmly rejects dirty politics and gutter politics and is instead focusing on going back to the basics of the party’s struggles.
This was seen recently and also in the past where political enemies resorted to dirty politics to tarnish the image of the party, he said.
“We don’t allow this kind of dirty politics in this country. We reject these kinds of gutter politics and will work hard to unite our party.”
He said the tactic was used in 1998 and in the years after that to tarnish the image of tops leaders.
“We won’t ask the question ‘Is the video real?’. We stand firm and reject dirty politics,” he said, referring to the recent dissemination of lewd video clips allegedly of PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali. — TheBorneoPost
