Kota Kinabalu: The Gabungan Rakyat Sabah-Pakatan Harapan Sabah Government Backbenchers Club firmly opposes the establishment of Kemajuan Desa Madani committees (JKDM) in Sabah and wants Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to intervene.
They said the programme initiated by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Rural and Regional Development, who is also Umno President, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, is against the Federal Government’s policies without parliamentary approval.
“It is a waste of the people’s money to fund a politically motivated programme.
“This matter is also clearly contrary to the Prime Minister’s plan to promote a Unity Government.
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“In Sabah, it contradicts the decision of the State Government through the 16th State Legislative Assembly Session of the Fourth Term in November 2023 which approved amendments to the Sabah Rural Administration Ordinance.
“The State Government has already been empowered to appoint and manage a village committee which is the Village Development and Security Committee (JKKK) which plays various roles in village administration.
“Apart from violating the Sabah State Constitution, this matter will also cause confusion to the grassroots community. There will be overlapping of power, functions and duties which may cause tension.
“This matter will also complicate management at the level of the District Office, District Council and Municipal Council,” they said in a statement.
In response to Sabah Umno Chief, Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin who said the JKDM would not overlap powers but is more towards empowering the economy and entrepreneurship, they said it was an improper channel.
They said entrepreneurship programmes at state level should be through the Sabah Ministry of Industrial Development and Entrepreneurship (MIDE) and by the Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives (Kuskop) at national level, headed by Penampang MP Datuk Ewon Benedick.
“The entrepreneurship programme should be implemented under Kuskop and coordinated under MIDE.
“There is no need for the JKDM to be established in Sabah to avoid the duplication of responsibilities which may confuse people and waste funds,” they said.
“BBC GRS-PH Sabah opposes any parties which has any intention to divide and to disturb the harmony that we have rebuilt after the collapse of the Barisan Nasional Government in 2018,” BBC GRS-PH Sabah member, Datuk Ewon Benedick who is also Kadamaian Assemblyman, had said.
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