By Lian Cheng
KUCHING, Nov 1: A Facebook poll conducted by DayakDaily on whether the Federal Village Community Management Council (MPKKP) should be set up in Sarawak showed that 57 per cent respondents opposed to its implementation.
More than 3,900 DayakDaily readers among those 29,732 reached took part in the unofficial poll. Out of 3,900 who voted, more than 2,200 were against it and over 1,700 expressed agreement with the setting up of the MPKKP in Sarawak.
The poll was created on Oct 29 at 6.36 pm and lasted for 36 hours till Oct 30.
The question asked was “Should MPKKP be set up in Sarawak?” and the options given to the readers were a simple “Yes” and “No”.
Some readers not only voted but explained the reasons of their decisions through their comments.
As of 5pm today, there the poll received 634 comments, many of which are just a simple expression of “yes” or “no”.
For those who voted “Yes”, one of the reasons given is that there are many rural areas which have been neglected by the government. With the setting up of MPKKP, more funds can be channelled to develop the villages.
Those advocating for MPKPP believed that the implementation meant more budget for the villages.
With only the good benefit of having more funds to develop the villages, some voiced out that it would not interfere with the Adat (customs) of the local villagers.
There were also suggestions that MPKKP should be set up because the existing system of Village Security and Development Committee (JKKK) has not been effective.
One reader, however, described both JKKK and MPKKP as the ‘ying’ and ‘yang’, where the two can complement each other to serve the people at the grassroots better.
Lastly, there is also the argument that MPKKP will provide check and balance on how federal government funds are used. With the setting up of MPKKP, it means “better administration and double benefits from state and federal governments”.
For those rejecting the setting up of the MPKKP, one of the strongest reasons being that it will “incite more hatred” and it will bring about “divisive” consequences to break up Sarawak’s harmony, as there is already JKKK in place.
Another reason to reject MPKKP is that it is a tool of federal government to interfere into local villages, as stated in some of the views.
There are many who believed that the JKKK system is enough to serve the people at the grassroots and there is no necessity to set up another one that is parallel to the existing system.
While many believed that both JKKK and MPKKP should co-exist, there is however, one reader who thinks that both should stop as both “are wasting taxpayers’ money”. — DayakDaily
