DBKU wants citizens ‘in’ on soul-searching

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MOVING FORWARD: Abang Wahap and DBKU director Dr Saadiah Abdul Samat showing the Kuching CBS Enhancement Plan 2013 to 2017 leaflet at the press conference at DBKU headquarters yesterday.

KUCHING: A resident recently called up Kuching North City Commission (DBKU) to clear a tree branch that had fallen and was blocking a drain in front of his house.

DBKU personnel responded to that call and the problem was resolved, but datuk bandar Datuk Abang Wahap Abang Julai was not amused by such a distress call.

“Instead of pulling the branch out, he called DBKU for help. To make it worse, the branch was from his tree,” Abang Wahap told a press conference for the 2013 state level Civil Service Day here yesterday.

He stressed that this sort of mindset in relation to minor problems ought to be changed.

“(If we complain) the usual response we get would be that they (complainants) were paying taxes for DBKU to carry out work (including minor ones).”

Another perennial challenge facing DBKU, he said, was vandalism and rampant metal thefts.

“DBKU spent nearly RM600,000 each year to replace manhole covers and to fix vandalised street lamps even though we have financial constraints.”

Hence, DBKU’s strategy for next year is to focus on pioneering roles as the “driver, facilitator and Advocator” of the public and to change or influence the public’s thinking and perception.

In line with the government’s transformation initiative, it has also changed its vision to `Kuching – A vibrant, liveable city of choice” and its mission to `To enhance the quality of life by creating a condusive environment, citizens engagement and best-in-class service delivery’.

Among the immediate changes being undertaken is the `No Wrong Door Policy’ to ensure that every complaint received is properly handled.

DBKU, Abang Wahap said, would try to do everything in its capacity to resolve problems and would only refer the complaints received to another agency if the matters at hand were beyond them.

Abang Wahap said overall the holistic approaches taken by DBKU to improve and engage the community had driven them to take on roles that went beyond city development, and they had been successful.

Winning 87 national and international awards over the past 25 years bear testimony to this.

“Starting with the award in 1994 for the national-level Best Local Enforcement Authority to the recent Best Buletin award by the Sarawak Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, we are constantly pushing to improve ourselves.”

In January this year, DBKU unveiled the Kuching CBS (Clean, Beautiful, Safe) Enhancement Plan 2013 to 2017. It was launched by Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud.

The CBS plan is to enhance and transform Kuching city into the cleanest, most beautiful, safest, and the most talked about city in Asia by 2017.

“This plan will also focus on the involvement of city dwellers as we want to make Kuching a ‘City with a soul’, and also to ensure that physical and spiritual development goes hand-in-hand with it.”