Revive new village committees - The Star

April 25, 2008 By RASLAN BAHAROM

RESIDENTS of 134 new villages in Perak have been asked to reactivate their respective New Village Development and Security Committee or JKKKB.

Perak MCA secretary Datuk Ho Cheng Wang (pic) said the JKKKB was initiated by the Housing and Local Government Ministry to oversee the security and coordinate development efforts at such villages.

Ho said over the years, the JKKKBs, located within the jurisdiction of local authorities, had become inactive as their roles became redundant.

“The needs of new village residents are usually handled by councillors attached to the town or mu-nicipal councils.

“But due to current political changes, it has been decided that there is a need to reactivate the JKKKB,” he said recently.

Ho said Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan felt the JKKKB could become an effective mechanism to provide various services needed by the new villages.

Ho said new villages in Pulau Pasir Hitam, Sungai Kerang and Terong near Taiping were among the active JKKKBs in Larut Matang and Selama districts.

In Bukit Gantang where Ho is the MCA division chairman, only eight of the 11 JKKKB remain active.

“Unlike the JKKK, the JKKKB is not officially recognised by the previous Perak government,” he added.

Ho said the chairmen and committee members of the JKKKB were also not paid monthly salaries and meeting allowances unlike those in the JKKKs. He added that there were a total of 450 new villages throughout the country.