Council secretary Hii promoted to resident

New appointment: Sibu Division Resident Hii.

SIBU: Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) secretary Hii Chang Kee has been promoted as the Resident for the Sibu Division effective Oct 16.

Council chairman Datuk Tiong Thai King in his address before the council meeting said the sudden news of Hii’s promotion came as a big surprise.

“We had hoped to retain him in the council.

“However, the appointment as Resident is equivalent to a head of a division.

“We have no choice but to wish him well as this is a career advancement for Hii.

“Had he been transferred to another council, we would have tried our best to retain him,” said Tiong, adding that Hii has been with SMC since 1992.

Tiong, who has been chairman of the council since 2004, described Hii as “a very learned, experienced, strict but fair officer with high discipline and integrity.”

Tiong said he has full confidence that Hii would continue to serve the town and its different communities in his new capacity which covers a wide jurisdiction.

The state government has appointed senior assistant secretary Morshidi Sidek as the acting secretary effective Oct 16.

Separately, Tiong said the council has received RM27.9mil or 69% out of an estimated total of RM39.24mil for assessment rates this year.

The council was confident of collecting up to 90% of the total rates this year.

On littering, he said it was disheartening to hear comments that it was all right to litter as the public had paid assessment rates for the council to engage sweepers.

He said such thinking was wrong and the people should help the council keep the town clean.

Regarding illegal extensions, he said the council would from the middle of October demolish them, starting with structures put up by two prominent supermarkets at Jalan Mahsuri and the Sungai Merah commercial centre.

Todate, the council has filed a total of seven cases in court against the owners.