KOTA KINABALU: The Federal Government was asked to revive the Sabah Federal Development Department (JPPS) considering that Sabah State Government is presently an opposition at the Federal-level.
Sabah Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (BERSATU) Chief, Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor said Sabah used to have a JPPS during the era of Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) government, which ruled the State as an opposition.
He said it is appropriate for JPPS to be revived and represent as a platform for the Federal Government in Sabah, in lined with the current political development and that the Warisan-led State Government is now an opposition.
He said JPPS is very important because it is the Federal instrument in supervising, monitoring and coordinating the distribution of Federal development allocation at the State-level.
“Sabah BERSATU proposes that the Federal Government speed up the revival of JPPS for the successful implementation of all development programmes and projects that would be channeled from the Federal to Sabah.
“JPPS functions as representative of the Federal Government, the intermediary and bridge between the Federal and State, like that had been created in Kelantan,” he said after he chaired the Sabah BERSATU State leadership meeting at Alamesra here today.
According to him, the Federal Government also need to establish Federal Village Development and Security Committee (JKKK) in Sabah for monitoring the implementation of development projects at the grassroots-level.
He said Sabah presently has Village Community Management Council (MPKK), which the power to appoint its chairmen lies under the State Government while the Federal Government provides the allocation of their allowance payment.
Hajiji, who is also Sulaman State Assemblyman, said it is a common practise for development allocation from the Federal Government not channeled directly to an opposition State Governmnet and political party.
He is optimistic that through JPPS, the Federal Government can assist in developing Sabah, specifically the rural areas which are still lagging behind, through the development allocation channeled to JPPS.
“We don’t want Sabah and people of the State to lose out and suffer for the development allocation not arriving from the Federal Government because the Sabah State Government is an opposition to the Federal Government.
Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) and its allies Upko and Sabah PH remained supportive of former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in the opposition bloc and not to Perikatan Nasional (PN) which is presently the Federal Government..-pr/BNN
