KUANTAN, July 6 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has instructed all ministers and Chief Secretary to the Government (KSN) to take their responsibilities seriously and monitor the condition of villages across the country to enhance residents’ well-being.
He said the directive also applies to all secretaries-general of ministries and senior government officials.
Anwar said the directive does not mean they have to conduct daily monitoring, but that they could check in every month or two to ensure village development is not neglected, as projects cannot be in urban areas alone.
“Yes, the government has its machinery, but sometimes the messages are not delivered. That’s why through this Kampung Angkat Madani programme, all ministers, including the Prime Minister, KSN, KSU, as well as senior government officials, must each adopt a village.
“Why? Because everybody has their own theories about the economy, social issues, health, education, etc, but how do we measure the success of government initiatives for the grassroots if (government officials) don’t survey people in the field?” he said when launching the national Kampung Angkat Madani 2024 programme in Kampung Chengal Lempong, Balok, here today.
Also present were KSN Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali and Deputy Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Fuziah Salleh.
Anwar said he has been visiting his adopted village of Cherok Tok Kun, Penang, over the past few months and has held meetings to understand villagers’ issues.
“I was born in Sungai Bakap, but at the age of five, I moved to Bukit Mertajam and Cherok Tok Kun. I grew up in Cherok Tok Kun, so I chose Cherok Tok Kun as my adopted village. I even called the imam, the headmaster, and teachers to look into dropouts to learn why students stop attending school,” he said.
Meanwhile, Anwar said the launch of Kampung Chengal Lempong as a Kampung Angkat Madani is part of the government’s initiative to assess the effectiveness of policies announced by the government.
He said that sometimes, policies announced by the government are not fully understood by the people, but the problem can be resolved if leaders and senior government officers visit grassroots communities to provide explanations.
At the event, Anwar presented RM100,000 grants to the Village Development and Security Committee and the Residents’ Association of Kampung Chengal Lempong.
Anwar also presented donations to 1,000 tithe recipients in the Indera Mahkota parliamentary constituency and 401 local fishermen.
— Bernama
