DUN Sitting (Day Eight): Jabu says Community leaders to get raise 100% in allowances

(Nov 10, 2010)

SHOW OF SOLIDARITY: Jabu (second right) leaving the State Legislative Assembly after delivering his winding-up speech with (from left) Sharifah Hasidah (BN-Semariang), Andy Chia (BN-Pujut) and (right) Datuk Francis Harden (BN- Simanggang) yesterday.

THE state government will increase the allowances of penghulus, pemamcas and temenggongs after it has finalised the matter with the federal government.

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu Numpang said the move was made following an announcement by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Razak in his recent 2011 Budget speech that ketua kampungs and village security and development committee (JKKK) chairmen would be getting an allowance of RM800 per month effective January 2011.

The amount would be a 100 per cent increase from their current allowance of RM400 per month.

Jabu who is also the Minister of Rural Development said the new allowances would be announced once the administrative issue relating to them has been finalised by the relevant authorities.

“It is an administrative matter. And as it is a new issue, both the federal and the state levels will discuss the issue, and then we will make the announcement,” Jabu said on the sidelines of the State Legislative Assembly sitting here yesterday.

He said the state government would not withhold what was due to these community leaders except that it has to be properly discussed and deliberated upon to decide the right quantum to be paid to them.

“We will not withhold what people are entitled to,” assured Jabu.

Currently, the penghulus’ initial monthly allowance is RM550 per month, pemancas RM650 and temenggongs RM850.

Najib had said that the incentive for the community leaders was for them to be more proactive to assist the people under their care and also to improve their livelihood.

Many village chiefs had requested for their monthly allowance to be increased as their RM400 monthly allowance was well below those categorised under the poverty level who earn RM700 per month.