KUCHING: Residents of Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) are urged to know the councillors assigned to their areas to ensure their needs can be attended to promptly.
OFFICIAL MASCOT: Tan shakes hand with the mascot of Padawan Fair 2010 as Lo (second left) and others look on.
Its newly appointed chairman Lo Khere Chiang on Saturday night said residents could get the information through the ‘Resident Councillorship System’ during the Padawan Fair 2010 at Batu Kawah New Township here.
“Every councillor is assigned certain zone or area and is responsible for ensuring that the needs of residents are attended to.
“The public can take down the information on display (at the booth assigned to MPP) showing which councillors are responsible for their areas and how to contact them and the council,” he said at the opening of Padawan Fair.
He also reminded residents to pay their assessment rates on time so that the council would not face financial constraint when carrying out its duties.
Lo pointed out that assessment rates were the main income source of MPP, which had contributed 60 per cent of its total revenue.
He said the estimated operating expenditure of MPP for 2010 was RM38 million.
“Next Wednesday (June 30) is the due date for payment for the first half year assessment rate. Rates can be paid at the council’s counters and at all one stop payment centres. In addition, the council also has a collection counter at Batu Kawah New Township,” he said.
He added that the bill could also be paid online at www.paybillsmalaysia.com.
“The council has invested a great deal of effort and money in making MPP a clean, healthy and safe place for its residents. In this respect, I would like to urge the people residing in MPP area to keep the municipality areas clean at all times, free from vandalism and maintain peace and unity in their neighbourhoods,” he urged.
Also speaking at the opening was the MPP former chairman Tan Joo Phoi who is now the Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department (Environmental Affairs).
Tan said as MPP covered a jurisdiction area of 1,431.82 square kilometres, therefore, the council needed a huge allocation to improve its infrastructure.
He pointed out that the council had been allocated about RM8.8 million from the state and federal governments to carry out its infrastructure development projects in this year.
“Under the Tenth Malaysia Plan (10MP), the council has made a bid of RM16 million for the state 10MP and RM331 million for the federal 10MP,” he explained.
Sharing his experiences as MPP chairman for six years and councillor for 12 years, Tan advised MPP councillors and officers to go to the ground frequently to identify shortcomings of the council and understand the needs of the people.
He said the council had set up various channels for its residents to lodge their complaints and requests as a way to improve their services.
“Strong commitment, co-operation and active participation of MPP, government departments, private sector, non-governmental organisations and ratepayers living in MPP will enable MPP to transform into a commercial and residential hub complementing Kuching city,” he said.
The council can be contacted at 082-615566, SMS 013-8025566 or visit their website at www.mpp.gov.my.