Harapan revives BN-era federally-appointed village council in Kelantan

The federal government will put into place federally-appointed Village Community Management Council (MPKK) leaders in the near future, to replace councils which previously contained a mixture of federal appointments with representatives from the ruling PAS state government.

"We are pleased to hear from the Rural Development Minister (Rina Haron) that Harapan in the opposition-controlled states will form federally-appointed village management councils," said Kelantan Federal MPKK coordinator Sazmi Miah.

"Thus the federal MPKK will move away from the state MPKK under the leadership of representatives of the state government," he said at a press conference in Kota Bharu today.

Previously, the federal government has permitted the MPKK in the non-Harapan governed stats of Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Perlis and Sarawak to be filled with a mixture of state government and Federal Government appointments.

However, this was seen as a failure, especially in Kelantan, when a lack of cooperation prevented the development of programmes to benefit the people.

On the other hand, Sazmi said the Kelantan MPKK, which received federal government funds, took the opportunity to make the establishment a platform for the movement of political programmes.

"We have seen the journey of the state MPKK since the beginning of March onwards and there has been a misuse of funds by the opposition to funding party programmes," alleged Sazmi.

"This should not be tolerated as it puts pressure on Harapan party activists at the grassroots level.

"We have tried to cooperate with the state government, but instead they do not welcome it. They do not want to build on the friendship that the Harapan government is trying to forge," he said.

He said Harapan Kelantan would now restructure and expand the membership of the Federal MPKK, which would including appointing members among women and youths.

He added that the parallel state councils, who were PAS appointees, could continue to operate and depend on the state government if they wished. - Mkini