Padawan council chief urges residents to pay assessment promptly

RESIDENTS under the Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) have until Wednesday to pay their assessment rates for the first half of this year.

Payment can be made at the council’s counter, all one-stop payment counters, a collection counter at the Batu Kawah New Township or online.

Newly-appointed MPP chairman Lo Khere Chiang urged residents to pay the assessment promptly as the council depended on revenue derived from it to finance its annual operating expenditure.

He said the revenue had increased and the assessment comprised up to 60% of total revenue.

Speaking at the launch of Padawan Fair 2010 last Saturday, Lo said that MPP had set up a booth displaying its Resident Councillorship System.

Under the system, the 1,431.82 sq km municipality is divided into zones and each councillor is assigned to a zone .

“The councillor is responsible to ensure the needs of residents in the zones are attended to. Members of the public can take down the information on display showing which councillor is responsible for which zone and how to contact them,” he said.

Meanwhile, Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department Tan Joo Phoi reminded all MPP councillors and officers to work closely with the people.

Tan, the former MPP chairman for six years since 2004, said that all councillors and officers should go to the ground to identify problems or shortcoming in the municipality to serve the people better.

“Complaints and requests for services like repairing potholes and drains are taken seriously by the council. Work like the repair of drains, clearing clogged drains, patching potholes, road resurfacing and grass cutting is the council’s core business,” he said.

The council’s priority this year was infrastructure development with an allocation of RM4mil for road maintenance and RM3mil for street lighting, he added.

Organised by MPP as part of the Padawan Festival 2010, the Padawan Fair 2010 will start at 7.30pm daily from June 26 to July 18.

Other than a trade fair and fun fair with amusing rides and games, there are more than 50 stalls offering a variety of local delicacies, traditional food and international cuisine.

A huge screen has been set up near the main entrance for football fans to watch the World Cup while visiting the fair.