EMPTY CHEQUE FOR VILLAGE CHIEFS?

By : DAP MEDIA

MANY Village Chiefs (Ketua Kampongs) had approached the Sabah DAP from many districts in Sabah and the latest one was from Inanam, regarding the non-receipt of the promised allowance increment by the government.

They said the increment of their allowance was announced last year on the 23rd of November to increase from RM450 to RM800 per month, and supposed to start from January 2011.

Until today, they have not received any money on the promised increment. The announcement was made by the Sabah Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Hajiji Mohd Noor following the Budget speech by the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

The ketua Kampongs presently was receiving RM450 every month, with RM400 from the state government and the remaining RM50 contributed by the Federal Government. Hajiji said the federal government will continue to continue to pay the RM50 but the state government will increase its payment to RM750.

The Ketua Kampongs (who do not want to be named) said they wondered why this money was not paid to them. The announcement was made by the government last year and they said that could not be wrong.

Stephen Jimbangan of the Sabah DAP Kapayan Branch Chief had checked with some other Ketua Kampongs in other districts in Sabah, and he was told by them that they too did not receive any increment on the allowance.

Stephen asked the Sabah State government to clarify on this matter. There are over a thousand Ketua Kampongs in Sabah including the Chinese Headmen (Kapitan Cina) who are in the major city and towns.

The allowances payable to the ketua kampong is much needed by the many ketua kampongs because they need the money to carry out their work in the various kampongs that they in charge of.

The traveling expenses and other expenses like postages, telephone bills and printing cost can be quite high in order to serve the kampong folks efficiently. This is especially difficult for the rural district, if the Ketua kampong has to travel from the kampong regularly to the towns nearby.

Stephen asks the government to clarify whether the promised increment of the allowance to be paid to the Ketua Kampong and Kapitan Cina in Sabah is really to be implemented by the state government. As far as this is concerned, Semenanjong and Sarawak Ketua Kampongs and Kapitan Cinas are being paid the announced money accordingly and without delay, what happened to Sabah?

In any case, if such increment as approved by the government, the government should honor to pay the many Ketua Kampongs and Kapitan Cinas accordingly. Don’t forget these people are really helping to lessen the work load of the government in terms of taking care of the people.

Stephen said they deserved an increase in their allowances, and the present allowances are not enough to produce an efficient and effective work performance. Many of the Ketua Kampongs already felt disheartened and also had slow down on their work, they said they feel they are being cheated and neglected by their own state government. It is no point to continue to support the BN government.