PUTRAJAYA, June 27 — The Rural Development Ministry will set aside RM100 million annually for grants dedicated to programmes for the wellbeing and happiness (keceriaan) of villages.

However, minister Rina Mohd Harun said the grants are limited to villages in Paktan Harapan (PH) states for the time being.

"Out of some 16,418 villages nationwide, 10,000 will be able to get the grants. We are currently analysing the mechanism on how to disburse the grants to villages in Opposition states, which requires up to a month of study,” Rina said during a press conference.

Currently, villages in the states of Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Sarawak, and Perlis are unable to obtain the grants.

The grants are part of the ministry’s efforts to restructure the village management system, aimed at developing rural communities and economy.

She said the Cabinet earlier agreed to rebrand the existing Village Development and Security Committee system into the Village Community Management Council. 

Rina said the council will consist of a chairman, a secretary and 13 members drawn from the village.

"Under the council, the chairman must individually apply for the grant on behalf of the village, and is limited to receiving RM10,000 annually,” she said, adding the application mechanism and its conditions will be finalised by the ministry in the near future.

Rina said the Cabinet also agreed to set the allowance for council members at RM500 monthly for the chairman, RM300 monthly for the secretary, RM100 every time the council meets, and RM50 every time the council is attended.

Issues of the council member’s nominations, changeover and termination will be under the jurisdiction of their respective state governments.

"However, the ministry will control the management policies for the councils,” Rina said.

As part of PH’s manifesto on women empowerment, she said 30 per cent of the council’s members should be women.

"This way, they can contribute their ideas, energies, perspectives and skills towards the process of village development,” Rina said.

She explained that one of the key differences between the new council system and its predecessor is that it also serves as a machine to facilitate two-way communication between the villages and the authorities on what they need to develop themselves, thereby enabling things to be done faster and more efficiently.  

"The ministry via the Rural Development Institute will also implement leadership training and administration programmes for council members, so as to bring about professional, informed and skilled individuals who can get the job of organising their respective villages properly,” she said.