BAU: The Ministry of Community Development will allocate a special budget to all local councils in the state to carry out community service development in their respective areas, starting this year.

Without stating the amount, Assistant Minister of Community Development Datuk Peter Nansian, said this would engage the local councils in proactively implementing such projects.

“We want to do community service development projects through the local councils since they are closest to the people on the ground.”

He, however, said the councils should not depend entirely on the government budget but to help in raising such funds through other means such as roping in big corporations through corporate social responsibility.

Nansian, who is also Tasik Biru assemblyman, said this at the swearing-in of the reappointed and newly appointed Bau District Council councillors here yesterday.

He also said that from now community leaders must send a copy of their letter to the councillors in their respective areas when applying for projects from the councils.

“This is necessary to enable the councillors concerned to do follow up with the councils on the progress of their applications.

“As councilors you are actually the face of the government on the ground. Councillors should also be able to work with their elected representatives to serve the people well and not just thinking of personal matters.”

Nansian also suggested that councilors must set their own (key performance index) KPI because they are there not to warm the seats but to do what have been entrusted on them.

Bau District Council has 30 councillors, five more than before and they being members of non-governmental organisations while the rest represent the state BN component parties.

“Some of them are reappointed but about 80 per cent are new faces,” he said.

Opar assemblyman Ranum Mina, a political secretary to Chief Minister Datuk Wilfred Nissom, Temenggong Austin Dimin and other community leaders were among those present at the function.