Social activist: Leadership of community chiefs, headmen needs to be reevaluated

BINTULU (Jan 5): Social activist, Dr Abdul Kuddus Ramlee, expresses his beliefs of the need to have the community chiefs and headmen’ leaderships be reevaluated in terms of their roles, tenure of office and performance.

According to him, many residents here said that the individuals appointed as Temenggong, Pemanca, Penghulu and Ketua Kaum should not hold the positions for way too long.

“A two-year term is enough and it is necessary to evaluate their key performance indicator (KPI),” he said.

“If the incumbent is too old, unfit and not fulfilling his duties; it is better to terminate his or her service and give the opportunities to other candidates who are more energetic, competent and have organisational skills,” he shared on his Facebook.

“The local leaders’ efficiency and effectiveness are vital to ensure the harmony and progress of the community,” he said.

The leaders’ core roles, he added, are to unite and promote unity among the local people, whereby they play a crucial role as mediators in resolving conflicts and disagreements.

“With their expertise in solving problems and interacting with different levels of society, they will be able to reach mutual agreements that are beneficial for all,” he noted.

Kuddus said the leaders, together with the authorities and law enforcement agencies, ought to play their parts in maintaining peace and security in the local community.

Another aspect of community leadership, he said, is to enhance the social and economic development of the local community.

“They must play their roles in planning and implementing development projects that can improve the lives of the local residents.

“By acting as intermediaries between the community and the authorities, they can ensure that the needs of the community are heard, but they must have a strong voice and have the government’s backing to support the development plan for their areas,” he said.

He reiterated that the community leadership roles ought to be constantly reviewed to meet new challenges in this era of globalisation and rapid change.

“The leaders, therefore, should be given more skills training in order to be able to keep up with current digital trends, and also for them to effectively carry out their duties to meet the demands and expectations of society,” he said.

“Bintulu needs community leaders who can keep up with the times,” he stressed.