Hii calls for full support in developing Sandakan
SANDAKAN: New Sandakan Municipal Council (SMC) president, Datuk Peter Hii, has requested members of the public, local leaders and SMC personnel to give him their fullest support so that he can do his best to help develop Sandakan.
On his first official day as SMC president yesterday, Hii gave an inkling on his ideas on how to develop Sandakan.
“The main concern for Sandakan is cleanliness. We have to be strict with the contractors in charge. We have to make sure that they do their jobs properly. I also have an idea to beautify Sandakan by repainting all the buildings in town. We are going to change the ‘look’ of this town.
“I have my plans and we are going to do this seriously. I will go to the ground to inspect all the work, but how am I going to be a good ‘commander’ without good ‘soldiers’? It is no use if I work alone, I cannot do anything. We are going to need everyone, members of the public, the people’s representatives, the ministers, and all SMC personnel to collaborate and give support to SMC.
“Please support the SMC, the whole SMC. Not just me, support all of SMC,” he said.
Hii said this when speaking to reporters after he officially accepted the post as SMC president during a ceremony held at the Sandakan Municipal Council office building here yesterday.
“I love Sandakan. I hope I will be able to serve the people and develop this town. I give myself six months to achieve my main targets, but I cannot promise that I will be able to solve all the problems here within that time. However, I am going to do my best to develop Sandakan because of my passion for this place. I hope everyone will give me a chance,” he said.
Hii’s appointment had led to some parties pointing out that he is not fit to hold the position as he is not from Sabah. On this, Hii said it is not a problem because what is important is that he is a Malaysian.
“I have stayed here (Sandakan) for over 51 years. My MyKad has changed to Sabah. I obtained my PR (permanent residence) since 1978. I love Sandakan and have passion for Sandakan. How is it wrong if I help develop Sandakan?
“I could be enjoying my life now instead of sacrificing myself (time and energy) to develop Sandakan. But because of my love for Sandakan, (I am taking this duty). I hope the people will trust me; I will honour and deliver (my words),” he added.
When speaking to the SMC personnel during a briefing session, Hii announced that parking charges in Sandakan town will be reduced from RM1 to RM0.50 per hour for red parking spaces, and RM0.50 to RM0.30 per hour for yellow parking spaces. The charge for red parking spaces remains unchanged as there are only 46 red parking spaces in front of the banks.
On another note, Hii requested for all SMC personnel to work with integrity and said: “Do not accept money or gifts from people. I do not want any SMC personnel to be involved in corruption.”
Meanwhile, Sandakan member of parliament cum Minister of Health and People’s Well-being Stephen Wong Tien Fatt,said that the people of Sandakan should give Hii time to show his capability as SMC president.
“I think we should have confidence in him. As the people’s representative, I will give him my full support to make Sandakan better. We have a lot of plans. I had a discussion with him yesterday (Monday) on how to enforce strategies to develop Sandakan; these plans include repainting the whole town (buildings) and improving the cleanliness of Sandakan and solving the parking fee issues here.
“Another important factor is that we have to improve the tourism industry in order to improve the economy here. We have a strategy and the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Christina Liew, who has visited Sandakan over the past few days, said she is giving us six months to increase our tourist number by 50 percent and we have taken up the challenge.
“By promoting the tourism industry in Sandakan, the economy will improve and it will solve the problem of shops closing down in town,” Wong added.
Also present during the ceremony were Stephen Wong; Christina Liew; Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry, Junz Wong; assistant minister of Local Government and Housing, George Hiew; assistant minister in the Chief Minister’s Department, Arifin Asgali; assistant minister of Youth and Sports, Arunarnsin Taib; Elopura assemblyman Calvin Chong, and SMC deputy president Mohd Hamsan Awang Supain.