Kuching South City Council’s vision is to build the most well-planned, cultured, caring and healthy city in Malaysia.
MAYOR James Chan has pledged to continue with his vital role of making Kuching South City a liveable place with a strong voice and where the residents enjoy a quality and rewarding community life.
With his mayoral contract renewed for another three years, the energetic mayor spoke to thesundaypost about his vision, focus and challenge in realising the potential of Kuching South City as a metropolis.
“We have a city that’s neither huge nor small but is growing fast.
Right now, it’s sort of like a village city in the sense that we are not overcrowded, less congested, yet vibrant, convenient, lovely and calm,” he noted.
The vision of the Kuching South City Council (MBKS) is to build the most well-planned, cultured, caring and healthy city in Malaysia.
As such, Chan stressed the Council values the various communities under its jurisdiction and understands the importance of serving them efficiently and effectively.
“Like any business, my Council is tasked with managing operations within an allocated budget and ensuring our services can be assessed by the communities.”
Over the years, he said a lot had been done to shape a Kuching South City that is safe, green, clean and healthy through various community projects, programmes and activities.
“For instance, we are using more colours to create our landscaping with a variety of flowers. A more vibrant and friendly landscaping can enhance the environment and, in turn, benefit the residents.
While the city continues to grow and progress in tandem with development, Chan pledges to keep the ‘kampung spirit’ alive within the communities.
“We want to foster a welcoming, friendly and caring community where people can connect, share and bond,” he said.
“For this reason, we are holding the Community Event 2012 this weekend with an array of activities at five locations around the city.
“We want to bring people together so that they can get to know each other and have fun – and also take the opportunity to say hello to me instead of coming to see me only in times of trouble,” he quipped.
That aside, MBKS’ core functions include cleaning services, collection and disposal of waste, general maintainance of public facilities, urban beautification and landscaping as well as environmental protection and building control.
Although the Council has a leadership role, it cannot provide real and sustainable benefits unless it works closely with other agencies and the community.
Therefore, the Council is committed to re-examining the future direction of the city both in the short and long term.
Strategic plan
The Council recognises the importance of citizen inputs to enable it to further enhance the quality of life in the city. Towards this end, it makes meeting the needs of the residents the number one priority.
Chan revealed the new and improved strategic plan had been formulated within the framework of the Five Pillars outlining the shared visions of the state government and the Council for a liveable and sustainable city.
“By liveable and sustainable, we mean a city built on a strong economy and a sense of community pride.”
The plan contains five key areas of focus — neighbourliness, vibrant economy, integration and innovation of work processes, environmental management and urban beautification.
“Our focus is on preserving our natural environment as well as continuously planning and working towards improving and maintaining the quality of life for all,” he said.
“With the plan outlined, Kuching South City will continue to grow and change. We will deliver efficiently, bring about improvements, promote and foster a caring and inclusive community where city and community programmes, services and facilities contribute directly to the quality of life.”
Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: Kuching South - A city to be proud of
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