KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 8 — The proposed RM8.6 million allocation for the local community mobilisers Penggerak Komuniti Tempatan (PeKT) was approved today in Parliament despite attempts from Opposition and government lawmakers to block this.

Among others, the critics alleged that the programme was political in nature and rife with cronyism.

Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin, whose ministry was in charge of the PeKT, disagreed.

"We need community leaders, community builders to lead and look after the people in their community. We want to empower the community so they know how to look after themselves,” said Zuraida in Parliament today.

"It is established to help increase their quality of life.”

The allocation was then approved via a voice vote.

Earlier, Lembah Pantai MP Fahmi Fadzil asked Zuraida why 101 out of 157 appointees to PeKT were from her Bersatu party and no volunteers from other political parties were accepted.

"Is this agency only for one party members or for all of PN (Perikatan Nasional),” asked Fahmi.

"Wouldn’t this money be better used to give the public hospital cleaners who still aren’t listed as frontliners?”

Umno’s Tanjung Karang MP Tan Sri Noh Omar also questioned the appointments of the volunteers and asked why only some People’s Housing Projects (PPR) have PeKT’s while others did not.

He also said that all volunteers should have been picked next year as the allocation was under Budget 2021, yet they were appointed recently even before the allocation was approved.

"Since it’s come to this, I want a guarantee from the minister that every single volunteer that has been picked this year will be removed,” Noh demanded.

Other MPs said there was a conflict of interest when Zuraida and the so-called volunteers were from the same party.

Zuraida insisted the PeKT members were there to help with the activities involving Covid-19 and to help the communities with familiarising with the new norms.