Sabah assembly approves salary hike for community leaders

 Assistant minister Ceasar Mandela Malakun says the original rate has not been revised in the past 45 years.

The Sabah state assembly was told the amendment to the Community Development Leaders Enactment 1981 is likely to come into effect within a month. (Bernama pic)

KOTA KINABALU:

The Sabah state assembly today passed the Community Development Leaders (Amendment) Bill 2026, which, among others, raises the basic monthly salary of community development leaders from RM1,500 to RM2,000.

Assistant minister in the chief minister’s department Ceasar Mandela Malakun, when winding up the debate on the bill, said the salary adjustment was reasonable and timely as the original rate had not been revised in the past 45 years.

He said that during the period, the responsibilities of community development leaders (CDLs) had grown significantly, reflecting their increasingly important role as the mainstay of the government’s service delivery system at the grassroots level.

“The state government needs CDLs to ensure that government policies and programmes are effectively delivered to all Sabahans in a fair manner, including those in constituencies represented by the opposition bloc,” he said.

The bill to amend the Community Development Leaders Enactment 1981 was passed by a majority vote before Speaker Kadzim Yahya after it was debated by six assemblymen.

Malakun, who tabled the bill, said the amendment is expected to come into effect within a month at the latest, with the new salary adjustment to be implemented immediately upon enforcement.

Responding to proposals by several assemblymen during the debate for the government to review other allowances, including electricity and travel allowances, he said any consideration of additional benefits would take into account the state government’s fiscal capacity, financial position and current needs.

Meanwhile, the sitting also passed the Animals (Amendment) Bill 2026, which was tabled earlier by Sabah agriculture, fisheries and food industry minister Jamawi Jaafar.

The amendment to the Animal Enactment 2015, among other things, clarifies provisions on the licensing of livestock farms and slaughterhouses to ensure more orderly and effective implementation, while making it mandatory for operators to obtain licences to run such facilities in the state.

The sitting was adjourned to a date to be announced later. - FMT