MBKS logo on signage to indicate areas under its jurisdiction, says mayor
KUCHING: The objective of Kuching City South Council ( MBKS) to affix its logos on road signage is to indicate that the areas are under its jurisdiction, says its mayor Datuk James Chan.
He said MBKS has also received the green light from the Minister of Local Government and Housing Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian before the logos were affixed to the signages.
“MBKS decided to affix its logos on road signs under its jurisdiction to indicate which are the areas under its authority because currently Kuching is divided into three local councils and MBKS wanted to go one step ahead with this initiative,” Chan told The Borneo Post here yesterday.
He added that public complaints now would be much easier for the people to lodge and for MBKS to respond swiftly.
“Prior to this, we have received many complaints from members of the public living outside MBKS jurisdiction and we have to explain to them that their areas are not under us. So with this initiative, we hope that we will be moving towards a more civil society,” Chan pointed out.
Chan also revealed that the city council only incurred RM2,000 in costs to affix the MBKS logos onto the road signage.
“With this explanation, we hope that members of the public especially those under MBKS will be able to interact with us more efficiently especially regarding road maintenance and other related issues,” he added.
Chan was commenting on an inquiry by a local resident living under MBKS as to what was the rationale and objective of such initiative and that it was a waste of public fund.
The resident concerned, who preferred to remain anonymous said as a local authority, MBKS depended on the annual assessments paid by all the house owners within its jurisdiction and allocation from the State Government.
“Now, as one of the residents paying the annual assessments to MBKS, may I have the liberty to enquire as to the objective of putting up the MBKS logos on the road signage which cost money belonging to members of the public within MBKS jurisdiction?
“I am sure most of the house owners are aware that we are residing within MBKS jurisdiction as we are paying our annual assessment rates to them. Thus, the need for the logos to let us know that we are within their area is not a necessity at all.
“The money of MBKS is public money which should have been put to good or better use,” said the resident in his letter to The Borneo Post yesterday.
He pointed out that in the present prevailing economic situation, funds should be made available for urgent and needful purposes for the betterment of the residents within MBKS.