By Lian Cheng
KUCHING, Sept 27: The Pakatan Harapan-led federal government will definitely implement the Village Community Management Council (MPKK) which will be a parallel system to the existing Village Security and Development Committee (JKKK).
Works Minister Baru Bian emphasised in no uncertain terms that MPKK will be implemented despite the protests from the Sarawak government, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) leaders as well as non-governmental organisations (NGOs) such as Sarawak Patriots Association (SPA).
He however informed that presently, the mechanism structure of MPKK has yet to be finalised.
“But this is a system which is almost like or parallel to JKKK,” he told the media after the Third Meeting of the Action Council, a joint Sarawak-Federal Governments Action Committee, held at Wisma Bapa Malaysia today.
Pointing out that the federal government will be appointing those in MPKK, Baru also highlighted that there was no law against such an appointment.
“Definitely. This is the appointment from the federal government and I don’t think there is any law against it,” he added in responding to a question if the federal government will go ahead with the implementation of MPKK despite protests from the Sarawak government.
Baru, who is also Selangau MP, emphasised that the main purpose of MPKK was to disseminate information with regards to federal projects and other programmes that will bring benefits to the people.
“The bottom line is that the people would be given the information from the federal… (information on) projects from federal that would be implemented for the benefits of the people in the villages, (for the people) to understand,” he explained.
Stressing that the setting up of MPKK will not split the community, he said that Ketua Kampung (JKKK system) was different from MPKK as they were under the state’s jurisdiction.
“MPKK is not dividing the community. I have said that a lot of times. We are not going to divide the community,” he said.
He reiterated that the main purpose of MPKK was to be a channel for information on rural projects, which will be implemented on the ground, and that will be beneficial to the people.
“You must have some channels to bring information to them and for their benefits, that is the whole thing,” he said.
“Again, you must bear in mind, in this whole aspect, we don’t want to politicise this and it is a fact that the government of Sarawak hindered the Ketua Kampung (village chiefs) from attending any other functions that are not sponsored by the state,” he alleged.
“It is the main problem. So we try to overcome this, so that the rakyat would benefit,” he added.— DayakDaily
