Kota Kinabalu, 11 October 2020: DAP should stop accusing the GRS government’s decision on the replacement of the 2,800 odd village heads state-wide as being an irresponsible act.
The GRS government is a proactive government and have observed the mistakes and weaknesses of the previous Warisan plus government and will not repeat their blunders.
“Do I need to remind Jannie Lasimbang that it was her ministry of Law and Native Affairs that dismissed the 2,800 odd village heads way back in May 2018. And to make matters worse, adding more miseries and sufferings, the replacement process was delayed by more than six months which paralysed the whole system,” remarked Edward.
Jannie may have a short memory of events a mere two years ago but this should not be an excuse for now claiming that the GRS government is replacing 2,800 odd village heads all over the state without due consideration, said Edward Dagul.
Edward, who is Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) Deputy President reminded that the practice of aligning grassroots leaders with the government of the day is to ensure policies are implemented efficiently. It is a mandatory process to review and if necessary, to replace politically appointed community leaders such as native chiefs etc. with each change of government and after consultations with the proper authorities and grassroots leaders.
“The immediate focus of the GRS government is to mitigate the Covid-19 pandemic and the recovery of the economy in Sabah. So, considering that the cabinet was only sworn in a few days ago, give the GRS government a bit more time. We are sure that the whole process of appointing the village heads (Ketua Kampung) will be completed a lot sooner than six months ,” concluded Edward.