Launching of LA Serve (Local Authority Serve) Squad

suppadmin | July 26, 2017

The LA Serve (Local Authority Serve) Squad was launched yesterday to help local councils improve their services to the people in an effort to reduce complaints from the public.

Six local authorities – Bintulu Development Authorities (BDA), Padawan Municipal Council (MPP), Samarahan Municipal Council (SMC), Sri Aman District Council (SADC), Sibu Municipal Council (SDC) and Miri City Council (MCC) were selected for the pilot project for Local Authority Serve (LA).

The purpose is to assist local government to improve their services to the people in the six local councils of which RM18 million was allocated for the purchase of 10 units of motorcycles and six units of 4-wheel drive vehicles.

Minister of Local Government and Housing Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian who launched the project, said “the establishment of the squad was a new strategy of the ministry to transform the service delivery and performance of local councils in the state which will help local councils improve the range of service delivery, enhance efficient use of manpower so that hopefully the number of complaints may not rise”.

Dr Sim stressed that local councils, as front liners, would be required to provide service outside office hours to address issues or emergency situation s and the squad would work round the clock and on shift duty, and paid allowance.

From statistic shown, he said 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).

He said the number of complaints was an indication that local councils are important and relevant to the local community, and urged the councils to treat the complaints positively.