By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, June 5: Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) president Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing has strongly urged district and municipal councillors, as well as politicians, to refrain from interfering with the appointments of ‘tuai rumah’ (longhouse headmen) and ‘ketua kampung’ (village chiefs) or face investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
Tiong, who also serves as Federal Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture (Motac), emphasised that residents of longhouses and villages have filed numerous reports and complaints against certain individuals who are maliciously engaging in covert attempts to manipulate elections, which are within the residents’ rights.
“Some quarters may think that I have lost touch with the situation on the ground in Sibu due to my official duties. Because of this, they may be attempting to stir up trouble.
“I want to stress here to those people and caution a certain ‘pemancha’ (village chief) not to use your power and position to suppress or maliciously veto the results of community elections/appointments of those candidates who are not members of your political party,” he said in a statement.
Tiong, who is also Bintulu MP and Dudong assemblyman, said he had already reported and explained the matter to Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas and the Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP).
“We unanimously agreed that no political party should interfere in the appointments of leaders such as tuai rumah and ketua kampung.
“That authority and privilege should be left to the residents of the respective longhouses and villages to select their own leaders, without interference from outsiders,” he added.
He further urged the district office to handle the matter delicately and resolve it within a week.
Due to the attempts to manipulate appointments and deliberate delays, he stated that the renewal of appointment letters for 83 longhouse and village heads is still pending, and appointment letters for three newly appointed leaders have yet to be issued.
Tiong noted that it must proceed to ensure that all 86 individuals are able to continue serving the people and resolving problems smoothly.
“It should be noted that many documents require the signatures of longhouse and village leaders, and they also need allowances to carry out their tasks.
Additionally, the minister said he was aware that in Dudong, there are also certain individuals who want to conduct underhanded activities in the selection of longhouse chiefs and village heads, disrespecting the existing selection system.
“I will not condone any abuse of power. If the situation continues to escalate, I do not rule out taking necessary actions, including requesting MACC to investigate.
“Let this be the final warning. Cease the scheming and deception to test our patience. All parties must adhere to the existing selection mechanism. If anyone continues to abuse their power in the matter, do not complain if the matter is brought to MACC.”
Regardless of their background, Tiong highlighted that anyone who is qualified to serve will be supported and appointed by the residents.
“No party should treat this as a bargaining chip for their political manoeuvres or force someone to join their party or toe a party line in order to be appointed,” he remarked. — DayakDaily
