|
DAILY EXPRESS NEWS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Azizah Kota Kinabalu: All non-governmental organisations
(NGOs) will be appointed to local councils to ensure the
community is better represented in local government.
The Government is therefore looking into increasing the number
of councillors in all local councils, said Housing and Local
Government Deputy Minister, Datuk Azizah Mohd Dun.
"The Government is now looking into increasing the number of
councillors and from there, we will make sure all
non-governmental organisations (NGOs), parties concerned and
representatives of certain groups of people are appointed," she
said.
Once the number is increased, the additional councillors will
involve representatives from the NGOs, she said, pointing out
that this means everybody will be involved.
Azizah was speaking to reporters after representing the Minister
Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting at the closing of the International
Conference on Local Government 2006 at Sutera Harbour Resort,
here, Thursday.
State Secretary Datuk K.Y. Mustafa, Assistant Local Government
and Housing Minister Edward Yong Oui Fah and Mayor Datuk Iliyas
Ibrahim were also present.
Azizah also hoped that all the state governments would take
steps to bring about an increased women representation in local
government during the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP) period.
She said presently there was only one woman councillor in a
local council in Sabah.
"We hope every local council will have women councillors, in
line with the 9MP aspirations," she said, adding a local council
which presently does not have a woman councillor should appoint
at least one.
Earlier in her speech, she said in line with the effort to bring
about a 30 per cent women representation in decision-making
positions in the public sector the Government would, among other
things, place emphasis on the appointment of more women
councillors in the various local authorities. "Towards this end,
the co-operation of the State Government is needed," she said.
Azizah, meanwhile, said service delivery by local authorities
was an issue which cropped up every now and then, especially
when dealing with congested cities or towns.
"As Malaysia is pushing herself towards a developed nation
status, it is imperative that the issue of service delivery by
both the public and private sectors is given its due
prominence," she said.
In fact, she added, increasing the efficiency of the public
delivery system and overcoming bureaucratic red tape had been
identified as one of the priorities to ensure the success of the
National Integrity Plan launched by the Prime Minister in 2004.
"Conscious efforts must be made particularly in upgrading public
service delivery by local authorities as this is undoubtedly the
step in the right direction and augurs well for the nation as it
forges ahead towards Vision 2020 and developed nation status,"
she said.
"We are living through an age of global change, one of the most
dramatic and unpredictable in the history of the world. The
rapid urbanisation, globalisation, information and
communications revolution and the increasing complexity of our
societies are reshaping the roles and functions of our local
governments.
"We must acknowledge that an increasingly ICT-savvy generation
along with the globally-propelled awareness of openness and
participation as well as best practices in global local
governance have raised the expectations of citizens resident in
local authority areas to be more involved in the affairs
affecting their lives."
She said local authorities today were constantly under
increasing scrutiny, being tested against elements such as
participation, transparency, responsiveness, equity,
accountability and good governance, rule of law, efficiency and
effectiveness.
The whole gamut of challenges serves to reaffirm the
ever-escalating hopes and aspirations of the present genre of
citizens who are seeking improved quality of life through their
dealings with government.
Azizah said the issue of enhancing local authority service
delivery would therefore get continued emphasis from the
Government during the 9MP period.
"Indeed, the strategic thrust spells out that district and local
level administration will be selected as priority areas for
enhancing service delivery.
"Measures such as re-organisational restructuring, re-engineered
processes, human resource development, deployment of ICT,
formulation of smart partnership, adoption of performance
measurement, through key performance indicators, increasing
public safety and security as well as streamlining the roles and
responsibilities of the local authorities and agencies involved
will be adopted by the Government."
Whatever the efforts the Government makes in enhancing service
delivery at the local level, it is clear that a more inclusive
and participatory approach such as those under LA 21 as well as
an increasingly ICT-savvy generation will spur a more pervasive
demand for local governance today and tomorrow, she added.
|
