KOTA KINABALU: City Hall here will be utilising satellite technology for data analysis and to tackle issues faced in the city more effectively, says Datuk Joniston Bangkuai.
The Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister said in view of Kota Kinabalu moving towards smart city status, the use of satellite technology would be able to increase City Hall’s capability to better monitor and address issues.
He said this approach could assist local authorities to make quicker and better decisions based on clearer and more accurate data to solve squatter problems, cleanliness, traffic flow and industrial activities, among others.
He said this after the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between City Hall and the Malaysian Space Agency (MYSA) here Tuesday (May 5).
Joniston, who oversees City Hall, said this technology could also be used to identify trends and the seriousness of an issue, at the same time allowing more effective action plans to be drawn up.
“The use of this technology is expected to improve transparency and accountability in urban management, as all actions can be backed up by data, information and proof,” he said, adding that this is an important step towards transforming Kota Kinabalu into a smart city.
Giving an example, he said if squatter homes are detected to have sprung up in new areas or hygiene issues are detected, the local authorities can immediately intervene before the problem gets out of control.
“If we fail to adapt to new technologies, we will be left behind. Therefore this approach is vital to ensure we deliver the best services to the people,” said Joniston.
He said they are looking at expanding this satellite approach to other parts of the state so that administration and performance of local authorities are improved and modernised.
