THE Selangor government has voiced its dissatisfaction with the federal government's appointment of village heads and the Village Safety and Development Committee (JKKK) in the states.

Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said the appointment of village heads by the Rural and Regional Development Ministry was an encroachment as appointment of village heads and committee members come under the administration of the state government.

Khalid said such a move would only give rise to confusion as villagers’ loyalty would be torn between the state-run JKK village heads and the federal government-appointed village heads and its committee known as the JKKKP.

“I would like to point out that this is a sheer waste of taxpayers’ money. The state government views this seriously and could refer the matter to court,'' he said.

 
Colourful: SRIKL students performing a dance for the guests during the Charity Fiesta 2008.

Khalid was speaking to reporters after launching the Sri Kuala Lumpur School (SRIKL) Charity Fiesta 2008 at their premises in Subang Jaya on Saturday.

Khalid said he did not see any benefit in having two village heads in every traditional village as the federal JKKK was implemented to take care of Umno's interest in the village while the JKKK had been advised to service the people irrespective of their political background.

“The JKKK committee will be appointed in August but I see a split at the village level as village heads will have overlapping duties. I feel it is not good to split the administration system at the village level,'' said Khalid.

He said the federal government should abolish the JKKKP in the interest of the people.

The federal JKKK is only implemented in the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) government- run states after the former village heads and committee members gave up their positions so as not to serve under an opposition coalition.

They were then placed under the JKKKP in four states (Penang, Kedah, Perak and Selangor) to ensure effectiveness in the implementation of federal government development projects at the village level.