Mayor vows to solve traffic congestion, flash floods

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KOTA KINABALU: Datuk Abidin Madingkir, who was appointed as the new Kota Kinabalu Mayor effective Feb 2, has vowed to overcome traffic congestion and flash floods in the city as long-term agendas of the Kota Kinabalu City Council (DBKK).

“To find solutions to these two problems, which are also the most-debated issues in the city, is not an easy task.

“However, I believe that we must take the initiative to start somewhere and find long-term solutions,” he said during a DBKK-Media luncheon here yesterday.

Abidin said he would also continue implementing DBKK’s 3K agendas in improving the cleanliness, beauty and safety in the city, which was initiated by his predecessor Datuk Iliyas Ibrahim.

Madingkir pointed out the media plays a crucial role in ensuring effective management and development of Kota Kinabalu.

He said the City Hall as a government agency needed the support from media organisations in communicating its policies and programmes to the public.

“I am grateful to see that there has been a close relationship and cooperation between the media and the City Hall. This is evident in the coverage given by both the print and electronic media to the recent events and programmes held in conjunction with Kota Kinabalu’s 11th anniversary celebration,” he said.

He said the media’s role is not only to disseminate information to the public but also relaying feedback and suggestions from the people to the City Hall, and therefore assisting the agency to gauge the effectiveness of its programmes and make the necessary improvement as well as planning future programmes based on the needs and problems faced by the people.

The media, he added, also determines the image of a government agency as it actively influences the perception and views of the public through its reports.

As a local authority, he said City Hall is not spared from media and public criticism on its programmes and policies and even the action of its staff and officers is always the subject of scrutiny.

“Kota Kinabalu is 350.7 square kilometres and has nine zones, all under the City Hall administration. It is very difficult to give everyone what they want in time. Moreover the City Hall only has 1,800 men and women to cater to the needs and requests of more than half a million residents.

“But this will not weaken our spirit or stop us from giving our best to serve the City and community. The people of Kota Kinabalu are very important to us and we hold true to the 1Malaysia’s ‘People First, Performance Now’ slogan,” he said.

In this regards, he urged media practitioners in the City to continue playing their role to ensure that the City Hall set in place the necessary development plans for Kota Kinabalu and effectively addressing the issues affecting its dwellers.

Abidin noted that under his administration agendas, he had developed a short-term plan for continuing and enhancing the City Hall’s 3K (Safety, Cleanliness and Beautification) programmes.

“In this respect, I call on reporters to support us and continue putting the message out to educate and remind the public of their roles, in line with our programmes such as the Anti-Litterbug and Reduce Plastic Bag Usage campaigns,” he said.