KUCHING: Politically appointed Tuai Rumahs (TRs) will not receive the 70 per cent portion of their salaries from PH Federal Government beginning next year, said Minister of Works Baru Bian who is Selangau MP, through a press release yesterday.
The federal government has all the while been allocating a budget for the payment of allowances and salaries of all Ketua Masyarakat all over Malaysia through the Rural Development Ministry, he pointed out.
“In Sarawak, the total amount disbursed, when evened out, comes to about 70 per cent of each individual Ketua Masyarakat’s salary.
“For next year, the PH Federal Government has agreed to continue this practice for Sarawak despite Sarawak not being under a PH state government, Baru said.
“RM35 million has been allocated for this purpose and will be tabled in the upcoming Budget.
“Nevertheless, the PH Federal Government wants to make it very clear that the budgetary support allocated by the PH Federal Government to the GPS government can only be paid by the Sarawak GPS government to those Ketua Masyarakat who have been democratically elected by the longhouse or village residents.
“Current Ketua Masyarakat like Tuai Rumahs who were not democratically elected by their longhouse residents but were unilaterally and politically appointed by politicians and GPS YBs against the wishes of the longhouse residents cannot receive the 70 per cent portion from the PH Federal government allocation.
“I want to make this crystal clear. Longhouse residents may make statutory declarations to report to the Ministry if the GPS government continues using Federal funds to pay politically appointed Tuai Rumahs,” the Minister concluded through the press statement.
