KUCHING, Nov 24: Sibu Rural District Council (SRDC) chairman Sempurai Petrus Ngelai echoes Tebedu assemblyman Dr Simon Sinang Bada’s call for the Sarawak government to increase councillors’ allowance to discharge duty effectively.
In a statement today, Sempurai said this is due to their essential roles as the frontline between the government and people and the grassroots leaders.
“There is no doubt that the roles of councillors are not only in the meeting room as policymakers within their respective council but also on the ground and engaging with the community.
“This important role required the revision of their allowance must be considered by the State government for them to discharge their duty effectively.,” he said.
He said that as policymakers and frontliners, councillors must engage with the community to ensure that the community and people can accept and understand government policies like the Post Covid Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030.
“Therefore, I echo and support the proposal by Dr Sinang for the State government to revise the councillors’ allowance,” he added.
Yesterday (Nov 23), Dr Sinang called for Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg to consider evaluating and increasing the allowance for community leaders and councillors.
He said that community leaders currently receive RM1,300 while councillors receive RM300 monthly, which is below the national poverty level and belongs to the B40 group. — DayakDaily
