SARAWAK has barred its state-appointed community leaders and ethnic communal chiefs from attending any Pakatan Harapan federal government function to keep them “neutral and away from politics”.

The directive, which is take effect immediately, came in a memo dated October 11 from the State Secretary Mohamad Morshidi Abdul Ghani to residents (heads of administration) of the state’s 12 administrative divisions.

The memo stated that “all community leaders and ethnic communal chiefs are not allowed to take part or be present in any functions and programmes not organised by the state government or approved organisations”.

The functions include opening of new roads and school buildings, installation of piped water and even sessions with their elected representatives.

A senior administration official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told The Malaysian Insight that this directive was to get community leaders to “remain neutral and stay away from politics”.

“These people are considered to be civil servants. They are on the state government’s payroll,” the official said, confirming the authenticity of the memo which has gone viral on social media.

Due to their position of influence, community leaders – members of the local councils, temenggong, pemanca, penghulu, tuai rumah, kapitan and ketua kampung – particularly in rural Sarawak, are most sought after by politicians from both sides of the divide.

During the time of the Barisan Nasional government, these leaders were invited to all federal functions held in the state, raising questions on their neutrality, the official said.

DAP’s Pending assemblyman Violet Yong slammed the directive as being “childish”, “very irresponsible” and a move to “deny community leaders their right to execute their duties freely”.

She said since the community leaders are the intermediary between the people and the government, such a directive will put them in a difficult situation.

The directive showed there is still political distrust between the opposition Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS)-ruled state government and Putrajaya despite GPS’ claim they are PH friendly, she added.

Another administration official said the PH federal government “need not get hot under the collar by this directive as it only applies to community leaders on state government payroll, not their ‘anak biak’ (people of the community)”.

“We (the state government) have the right to tell them what to do as we pay their salary,” the official said.

There are thousands of community leaders in the state of 2.7 million people and more than 50 ethnic races.

This is not the first clash the state government has with the federal government on the appointment of community leaders.

In May, when PH won federal power, the Rural Development Ministry froze the appointments and payment of allowances of the village development and security committee (JKKK) members in the state.

The appointments of JKKK members are made by the state but the federal government pays their allowances and the freeze was to ferret out politically appointed members.

Sarawak, which became an opposition-ruled state after GE14, ignored the federal directive by taking over the payment of the allowances, which ranges between RM300 (secretary) and RM900 (chairman) and meeting incentives of between RM50 and RM100. – October 19, 2018.