JOHOR BARU: The Johor government has extended the service of 384 local councillors across the state by two months until June 30.
State executive councillor Ling Tian Soon, who is Johor health and environment committee chairman, said April 30 marked the end of the previous extension period for councillors serving in all 16 local authorities in Johor.
“However, the state government has decided to extend their term for another two months,” he said when contacted.
The decision, he said, was made during a state executive council meeting.
Ling said this means all 384 councillors would continue carrying out their duties and serving their respective communities as usual.
The move, he said, was to ensure continuity in service delivery at the local level.
Asked whether the extension was a sign of a possible snap state election this year, he said: “No, this is not related to any election.”
Ling said this was the third time since 2022 that the state government under Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi had extended the tenure of local councillors.
He said the decision also took into account ongoing programmes planned by councillors in their respective zones.
“It would be unfair to replace them now as many of their programmes have been planned for a long time,” he added.
Ling said the councillors played an important role in engaging with the community and addressing grassroots issues.
The state government, he said, had introduced new key performance indicators (KPIs) to ensure councillors perform effectively.
“These KPIs will help us assess how well they engage with the community and handle public complaints.”
Overall, he said the state government was satisfied with the councillor’s performance.
“Under the new system, we will be able to identify who are excelling in their roles.”
