SERIAN: Village and community leaders (KMKK) must play a role as facilitators that connect the government with the community to ensure that every government policy, programme and service can be delivered effectively at the grassroots level.

Minister for Education, Innovation and Talent Development Dato Sri Roland Sagah Wee Inn said, the role of KMKK at present is not merely to hold a position, but to shoulder a heavy responsibility as a link between the government and the people.

"I call on all KMKK to continue to improve their professionalism, integrity and knowledge related to procedures and regulations involving statutory functions in order to meet the increasingly challenging expectations of the community," he said.

He said this when officiating the closing of the Serian District KMKK Strengthening Programme: Statutory Functions at Dewan Panggah, Serian Division Sarawak Government Administration Centre, on Tuesday.

The Tarat Assemblyman also emphasised the importance of close cooperation between KMKK, the district office and government departments in ensuring that the development of the Serian District can be implemented in a more structured, inclusive and beneficial manner for the entire community.

Meanwhile touching on the development of technology, Dato Sri Roland said that the KMKK needs to be ready to take advantage of information and communication technology (ICT) and artificial intelligence (AI) to speed up the delivery of information, coordinate communication with residents, manage community data and deliver government announcements faster and more effectively.

The one-day programme brought together a total of 177 participants consisting of KMKK under the administration of Serian District Office and Balai Ringin Sub-District Office.

Throughout the programme, participants attended six briefing sessions covering education and human capital development, KMKK duties and responsibilities, court supervision, shotgun license management, statutory declarations, in addition to business name registration as well as probate matters and governing powers of attorney.

Also present were Serian Division Resident Mackos Sibong, Serian District Officer Inting Nyami and Temenggong Bidayuh of Serian Division Henry Bujang Sendan. -UKASnews