LA Serve Squad may spread wings to more areas
SIBU: The pilot project of LA Serve ( Local Authority Serve) Squad may be extended to other local councils in the state if the need arises.
Assistant Minister of Local Government Datu Dr Penguang Manggil disclosed this yesterday when asked if there were plans to introduce the pilot project to other councils other than the six local authorities selected, namely Bintulu Development Authority ( BDA), Padawan Municipal Council (MPP), Kota Samarahan Municipal Council (KSMC), Sri Aman District Council (SADC), Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) and Miri City Council (MCC).
“We started with these six PBTs (local authorities) and may extend it to other local councils if and when the needs arise and if proven that such initiatives are of added value and resulted in less public complaints and enhance the effectiveness of the PBTs service delivery system,” he told The Borneo Post.
Penguang,whoisMarudiassemblyman, said the six councils were given one 4WD vehicle and two motorcycles each.
“It is to enable the councils to be more proactive and resolve any issues/shortcomings before the public complains,” he said.
Minister of Local Government and Housing Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian has said based on ‘ talikhidmat’, local councils received the most complaints among government agencies – at 9,468 last year. Of the complaints, road maintenance topped the list at 3,254 ( 26 per cent), followed by drainage (2,648), landscape (1,773), cleanliness (908) and enforcement (885).
Meanwhile, the Sarawak Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals ( SSPCA) was hoping that all local authorities especially town councils along the Kalimantan borders and those in larger populated centres would conduct house-to-house survey on the number of dogs in their areas.
SSPCA president Datin Dona DruryWee recently said that if Sarawak is to control or end the rabies outbreak, everyone has got to play a role.
Doing house-to-house survey on the number of dogs is important because agencies, especially the international agencies, required some data on the number of dogs if they are to look at the rabies cases and areas at risk.
On this, Penguang said: “We appreciate the suggestions by SSCPA but, in my capacity as the Assistant Minister for Local Government, I believe that the State Disaster Management Committee headed by Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah, together with Health Department and the PBTs have their own comprehensive and holistic programmes to contain the spread of the disease.”