KUCHING, Oct 23 — Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah has clarified that the Sarawak government’s directive to prohibit village headmen and community chiefs from attending functions organised by the federal government was in response to a letter received from the Rural Development Ministry.

He said today that the state government has also been paying the allowance of  headmen and community chiefs following the Rural Development Ministry’s decision, in a letter dated May 17, that the federal government had suspended all matters relating to the Village Security and Development Committee (JKKK) on the appointment, transfer and allowance payment of JKKK members.

"So that is why the state circular came about... it is only right that the state (government) responds (accordingly) because it is important that the JKKKs in Sarawak are given the right feedback,” Uggah, who is also state Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development, told reporters after attending the International Conference on Agriculture and Agro-based Industry of Sarawak (ICAAS) 2018 here.

He was commenting on the recent Sarawak government’s directive issued by State Secretary Tan Sri Mohamad Morshidi Abdul Ghani prohibiting village headmen and community chiefs from attending meetings and events organised by the federal government and its agencies or those attended by ministers or Pakatan Harapan (PH) parliamentarians.

Since a change of leadership following the 14th General Election, the state government also could not utilise the services of the Information Department and Community Development Department (Kemas), which are federal agencies, he added. — Bernama