The village security and development committee (JKKK) plays an important role as the government's bulwark, said Rural and Regional Development Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob today.

He said JKKK nationwide, as well as the Urban Community Committee (JKDB) in Sabah, should know how to respond to criticisms and accusations hurled by the opposition against the Barisan Nasional (BN) government.

"In the government, we are like a pyramid and JKKK is the base. If the base is demolished, the whole pyramid will collapse," he told reporters after a meeting with the JKKK and JKDB members in Kota Kinabalu today.

Ismail Sabri said JKKK and JKDB should not only be the eyes and ears of the government, but also to be the government's voice by disseminating accurate information to the people.

In another development, he said the ministry would continue to ensure provision of basic infrastructure facilities in the rural areas, especially in Sabah and Sarawak.

He said priority would be given on providing roads to link the rural areas to the towns.

Apart from that, he said the ministry's secretary-general, Mohd Arif Ab Rahman, had been tasked to resolve projects under the ministry that were not completed according to schedule.

“We have identified these ‘sick’ projects,” he added.

- Bernama