Uggah: Ministry’s directive not applicable to Sarawak
KUCHING: The allowances of community leaders and village chiefs are paid by the Sarawak government, and therefore the directive of the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development, through a letter dated May 17 this year, to temporarily postpone any form of appointments, transfers and allowances of community leaders, is not applicable in Sarawak.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah said the Sarawak government was informed by the ministry that the results of the 14th general election had changed a lot of things - the country’s leadership, the cabinet, and also the make-up of community leaders and village cdevelopment and security committees (JKKKs).
The let ter, signed by the ministry’s deputy secretary general, Norison Ramli, said the appointments, transfers, and allowances of community leaders had been temporary postponed until further notice.
Uggah said since that date (May 17), the allowances for all community leaders and village chiefs, were paid by the Sarawak government
“As for the statement of Minister of Works Baru Bian that RM35 million had been allocated by the federal government for the allowances of community leaders, I am not sure where he ( Baru) got them.”
He said this after opening an International Conference on Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Sarawak ( ICAAS) 2018 at Penview International Convention Centre ( PICC) near here, yesterday.
Uggah, who is also Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development, said he shared the same views as Assistant Minister of Local Government Datuk Dr Penguang Manggil that the directive to prohibit community leaders from attending programmes not organised by the Sarawak government had come about because of the federal government’s own doing.
He also said that ministers, assistant ministers and elected representatives from Gabungan Parti Sarawak ( GPS) had the choice to attended school function or otherwise
“In some areas, they can while in others they are not allowed to do so.
“They have to get permission, which is very sad because we are helping the schools while the students are our own people. Many of our representatives have problems attending school functions,” he said.