The rural and regional development ministry, via a number of initiatives, continues to implement efforts to strengthen the rural leadership as community level key players in the country''s current transformation.

Minister, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said among the initiatives was to introduce identity cards (IC) for representatives of the Village Development and Security Committee (JKKK) and Federal village development and security committee (JKKKP) .

He said the IC would indicate the identity of the leader of a rural community when dealing with government agencies and the community on social affairs and the progress of the village.

"The second (initiative) is the systematic and fast payment of JKKK and JKKKP allowances through the electronic fund transfer system in which they receive an allowance on the same date as other civil servants," he added at the closing ceremony of the Village Governance Certificate Programme INFRA-UniKL (Sijil Tadbir Urus Desa INFRA-UniKL) for the East Zone here Thursday.

Also present were Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Razif Abd Rahman; ministry secretary-general Datuk Borhan Dolah; ministry deputy secretary-general (policy), Datuk Azizan Mohamad Sidin, Director of the Institute for Rural Advancement (INFRA), Datuk Rubiyah Abd Rahman and chief executive officer UNIKL, Profesor Datuk Dr Mazliham Mohd Su''ud.

Some 700 representatives of the JKKK and JKKKP from Terengganu, Pahang and Kelantan, including the leaders of JKKK Orang Asli had followed the Rural Governance Certificate programme organised by the ministry in cooperation with INFRA and UniKL which lasted three days, beginning Tuesday.

The first series of the programme was held on March 13 and 15 in INFRA, Bangi involving participants from Central and South Zone and covering Negeri Sembilan, Selangor, Melaka and Johor.

Ismail Sabri said the programme would continue to be held for the Northern Zone, Sabah and Sarawak before the fasting month with a target of 3,500 JKKK representative for the five zones.

Elaborating, he said the ministry also set up a ''Majlis Muafakat'' (''Consensus Council'') involving his ministry and the JKKK and JKKKP, as well as updating the JKKK and JKKKP Management Procedures, especially taking into account current developments from basic aspects and role of JKKK. - BERNAMA