KUCHING, July 31 — Local Government and Housing Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin maintained today that village headmen appointed by Sarawak Pakatan Harapan (PH) have not received their monthly allowances from the state government.
She said her assertion was based on feedback she received from headmen in the Bintulu Division during her visit last week.
“My objective is clear on the issue of headmen, that their recognition (by the state government) must not take into consideration of their political inclination,” she said in response to Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas.
Uggah, who is also the state minister of agriculture, native land and regional development, said all legally appointed headmen in the Bintulu Division were paid their allowances regularly.
He also insisted the appointment of headmen in Sarawak was consistently professional and based on the terms and conditions, before urging the federal minister to meet with the state administration for clarification.
Zuraida then said she will visit Sarawak and pay a courtesy call to Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Openg to discuss the issues of unpaid allowances, longhouses and state land for federal government housing projects.
