SELANGAU: A total of 22 village security and development committees (JKKKs) here received RM330,900 in minor rural project (MRP) grants.
Present to hand over the allocations at Rumah Rami Apit in Pengkalan Lobang, Balingian on Wednesday was Kakus assemblyman Datuk John Sikie Tayai.
Earlier in his welcoming speech, Sikie said allocations for MRP projects in his state constituency were distributed in rotation and according to necessity.
“Kakus is one of the largest state constituencies in Sarawak, with an area of 5,701km².
“There are about 414 longhouses in this area. That is why the allocations must be channelled on a rotational basis,” he explained, adding receiving MRP funds in tiny quantities every year is not worth it for the JKKKs.
Elaborating further, Sikie stressed that longhouse chiefs should inform their respective communities about the amount of grants they had received.
He claimed that a few longhouse chiefs failed to inform their residents about the amount of MRP allocated to their longhouses.
“As a result, the residents complained to the penghulu, pemanca or counsellor that they had not received any grant because their longhouse chief had never told them of any information on the matter,” he pointed out.
In the meantime, Sikie, who is also the Minister in the Premier’s Department, reminded the head or committee members of the JKKK to cash the cheque before it expires.
He also urged the committees not to create accounts for the JKKK using the names of their family members, such as children, daughters-in-law, husbands and others, as this could raise suspicions and cause problems in their respective longhouses.
During the event, he also announced MRP allocations of RM5,000 to Rumah Rami Women’s Bureau and RM30,000 to JKKK Rumah Jubang in Pengkalan Lobang.
On another note, he called on the people to be prepared for the next general election.
“I urge all of you to rally behind the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) to guarantee that development initiatives, particularly in rural areas, continue,” he said, noting that the Kakus state constituency would have four voting channels at the Sekolah Kebangsaan Sungai Duan polling station.
