SEREMBAN: State concessionaires, departments and agencies have been told to pull up their socks and restore Port Dickson's image as one of the country's premier tourist destinations.
Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun said although he had personally raised issues related to cleanliness with the relevant parties, he still received complaints from the public, especially tourists on shortcomings in the resort town.
"If tourists get fed up, they will just stop coming to PD and when this happens, many parties such as small businesses will be affected and we do not want that to happen," he said after chairing the state exco meeting at Wisma Negri.
Aminuddin, who is also Port Dickson MP, said he had called for an emergency meeting with the Port Dickson Municipal Council (MPPD), concessionaires such as SWM (Environment) and SWCorp, utility companies and government agencies on Saturday to discuss this.
"I told MPPD to enforce the rules that are in place.
"I told the meeting PD has to be clean. We cannot afford to have creepers which eventually form into arches all over, uncut grass and tilting utility poles or picnickers putting up camps wherever they wished," he said.
Aminuddin said he no longer wants to hear the relevant agencies, departments and concessionaires passing the buck to one another and that they must be collective in carrying out their responsibilities.
"I don't want to hear someone telling me this is not my work but JKR's (Public Works Department), etc.
"PD belongs to all of you and you have to make sure tourists do not get sick and tired of PD," he said, adding that he had also told MPPD councillors in the resort town to monitor the situation.
Aminuddin said he told the meeting that this was not the first time he had highlighted the problems in PD.
"I have raised this many times over a few years. From the district level, I went to the state and then back to the district level.
"I have also told the CEOs of the concessionaires based at their headquarters about this and if no action is taken, then I will have to use other measures," he said, adding that utility companies and concessionaires cannot be thinking about profits alone but need to ensure areas under their jurisdiction were well kept and maintained.
He said the meeting minutes were also sent to the state secretary for follow-up action.
Aminuddin said a similar directive would also be sent out to other districts in the state.
"I cannot be going around the state with my excos and state secretary taking photos of things that need to be corrected.
"That is not our responsibility but that of departments, agencies and companies responsible for it," he said.
Aminuddin said he was forced to publicly state the matter as he wants immediate improvements.
"If there are none, then I would know what to do," he added.
