BUREAUCRACY and politicking will be reduced at the grassroots with the scrapping of the federal village security and development committee (JKKKP), set up under the Najib Razak administration, analyst Hisommudin Bakar said.

The Ilham Centre executive director said the JKKKP was foremost a political tool of the Barisan Nasional government, particularly in states controlled by the opposition.

“It was used by the BN administration to gain access to the grassroots in states like Penang, Selangor and Kelantan, which were under opposition rule.

“The opposition state government had control over the JKKK (village security and development committees) and local village heads, so BN particularly UMNO used the JKKKP to send funds or aid to their own people at the grassroots
 
“Scrapping the JKKKP will save the country money, reduce bureaucracy and politicking at grassroots level, particularly in rural Malaysia,” he told Malaysia Decides.

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad today announced several BN government agencies, included the JKKKP, would be abolished.

The second-time prime minister said JKKKP was too political and its role could be taken over by government officers.

Hisommudin said the JKKKP would have become obsolete anyway with PH taking over the states, except Perlis, Pahang and Sarawak, which remained BN states, and Kelantan and Terengganu, which are governed by PAS.

“I don’t think PH will have trouble reaching out to the grassroots without JKKKP,” he said.

Other agencies axed were the National Professor Council, Land Public Transport Commission, Special Affairs Department, and Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Centre. – May 23, 2018.