Kota Kinabalu: The government will increase annual allocations for Rukun Tetangga (Neighbourhood Committees) from RM6,000 to RM10,000 next year, as part of broader efforts to strengthen community engagement, trust and social cohesion across Malaysia, according to National Unity and Integration Department (JPNIN) Director-General Zulkifli Hashim.
He said the additional funding, promised by the Prime Minister, is intended to enable Rukun Tetangga committees to organise more activities that bring Malaysians of different races together.
“The purpose of the increased funding is to support the organisation of more community activities that foster interaction and build trust among people of different races within residential areas,” he said during the Roundtable Discussion of Multi-faith Partnerships.
Zulkifli said Malaysia’s multicultural society requires sustained effort to foster unity, stressing that diversity alone does not guarantee social cohesion.
“Malaysia is one of the world’s diverse societies. Diversity, however, does not automatically create unity,” he said.
He described JPNIN as a unique government institution dedicated to promoting national unity and integration, adding that its work goes beyond organising programmes to building trust among communities.
“Public trust is a critical factor in the success of any programme, regardless of whether it is implemented by the government or the private sector.
“Without the confidence of the people, such initiatives are unlikely to achieve their intended outcome,” he stressed.
Central to those efforts is Rukun Tetangga, which is a grassroots platform with nearly 200,000 community members serving Malaysia’s population of around 30 million.
Rather than functioning solely as neighbourhood associations, Zulkifli said the committees serve asa living laboratory where residents work together to identify local issues and co-create solutions.
“We co-create solutions for any problems among the communities,” he explained. The department is also redefining the role of Rukun Tetangga through what it calls the 5C framework, encouraging committees to become communicators, coordinators, collaborators, capacity builders and conciliators within their respective communities.
“Rukun Tetangga should move beyond organising community programmes.
“They should take on broader roles as communicators, coordinators, collaborators, capacity builders and conciliators within their communities,” he added.
He said empowering communities in these five areas would help transform neighbours into partners capable of addressing local challenges before they escalate.
Complementing the grassroots network is JPNIN’s Community Mediator Programme, which currently has 595 accredited mediators deployed nationwide.
Zulkifli explained that the mediators provide free, around-the-clock services to resolve disputes amicably at the community level, preventing minor disagreements from developing into larger conflicts.
“They are available around the clock to respond whenever issues or crises arise within the community. Their services are provided on a pro bono basis, and they receive no remuneration from the department,” he said.