Ministry seeks to enhance leadership of village committees
THE Ministry of Rural and Regional Development ( KKLW) is fully committed to enhancing the knowledge and capabilities of village security and development committees ( JKKKs), federal village security and development committees ( JKKKPs), and Orang Asli village security and development committees ( JKKKOAs), so that the members are more informed and skilled in their efforts to enhance the development of their respective villages.
The Village Administration Certificate Programme, one of the initiatives under the Rural Transformation Programme ( RTP), places emphasis on five key modules: village administration, financial management, entrepreneurship, project monitoring, and responsibility as assistant registrars for voters.
This comprehensive programme aims to raise the capabilities of JKKKs/JKKKPs/ JKKKOAs to a professional level, with a high level of knowledge and skills.
Currently in its second phase of implementation, the programme is a continuation of KKLW’s agenda to enhance grassroots leadership through comprehensive leadership training for JKKKs/JKKKPs/JKKKOAs.
KKLW gave the mandate to the Institute for Rural Advancement (Infra) in collaboration with Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) to implement this programme in March 2017.
It is also part of the ministry’s key performance indicator ( KPI) to train 16,000 JKKK/JKKKP/JKKKOA members nationwide in stages from 2017 to 2018.
The first phase of the programme successfully trained 3,025 JKKK, JKKKP, JKKKOA members nationwide from March to August this year.
Phase two of the programme started with the Northern Zone from Sept 19-21 in Ipoh, Perak, involving 1,000 JKKK/ JKKKP/JKKKOA members from Kedah, Perlis, Perak and Penang; followed by Sarawak Zone Phase 2 Infra-UniKL Village Administration Certificate Programme from Oct 10-12 in Miri involving 437 JKKK members from Miri, Beluru, Niah, Telang Usan, Marudi, Limbang, Lawas, Bintulu, and Tatau.
Deputy Minister of Rural and Regional Development Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi, who officially closed the programme in Miri on Thursday, said the programme gives recognition to the important roles and functions of JKKKs.
He said the programme is among the various KKLW initiatives to empower JKKKs in line with the government’s policies placing rural development as a national agenda, which will see JKKKs as the catalyst for the success of such policies and aspirations at the grassroots level.
In order to assume this role, all JKKK leaders need to be empowered with knowledge and skills to administer the management of their villages at a more professional level.
Alexander also noted that with effective planning, various resources in the village can be explored and utilised as a competitive economic resource such as the historical, artistic or cultural heritage of the villages.
While the programme will help the villages to become developed through economic benefits to improve the wellbeing of the people, it will also ensure the villages retain their traditional features.
Infra director Dato’ Rubiyah Abdul Rahman said the programme is different from other training sessions and courses attended by village leaders as the programme modules were developed specifically through the university’s expertise to empower JKKKs with skills in village governance and community management.
The emphasis on five main modules can help improve the efficiency and effectiveness of village leadership in carrying out their daily tasks as leaders and agents of transformation. Participants found the programme very useful in improving their leadership skills.
Long San village chief Lucia Paya Kalang said the programme gave her opportunities to understand and learn more about village administration apart from building selfconfidence.
Grateful for the chance to join the programme, she hoped more such programmes would be held in her area of Telang Usan so that other members of her JKKK would be able to gain such knowledge and insights on village development.
Penghulu Samion Gani agreed that more such programme should be held to improve the knowledge of participants as well as help the younger generation to realise how much the government cares about the people’s development.
He said the programme helps to enlighten JKKKs on what should be done and pledged his support to the government’s efforts to improve the well-being of the people under the National Transformation 2050 (TN50).