KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 14 — The federal government does not interfere in the appointments of the members of the Village Committee Management Council (MPKK), said Rural Development Deputy Minister R. Sivarasa.

In this regard, he said any payment of allowance was under the state governments.

"For example, in Sarawak, the appointment of the tuai rumah or ketua kaum is made under certain laws, is not disturbed or touched... and the responsibility to pay any allowance to the existing MPKK is the responsibility of the state appointing them," he said when winding up the debate on the 2020 Supply Bill in Dewan Rakyat yesterday.

On June 27, Rural Development Minister Datuk Seri Rina Mohd Harun announced that the Village Development and Security Committee (JKKK) for states under the administration of Pakatan Harapan (PH) would now be known as MPKK.

Meanwhile, Sivarasa, when giving the reason for the setting up of the Federal Village Committee Management Council (MPKKP) in five states not under PH, said it was very important so that government information and benefits could be disseminated and evaluated by the people.

"The issue of overlapping does not arise and I do not quite agree if there is a circular which I regard as very extreme, if it forbids attending programmes of PH elected representatives," he said referring to a circular to community leaders and JKKK members in Sarawak. 

In October last year, Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas clarified the circular on the directive of the Sarawak government barring village and community heads from attending functions organised by the federal government.

On Oct 30, a local newspaper reported that MPKKP would be in force in January 2020 under the Rural Development Ministry (KPLB) and financed fully by the government under the existing allocation.

MPKKP would be created in five states which are not under the federal government. 

The Dewan will sit again today. — Bernama