KEPALA BATAS: Mayors must be like chief executive officers and city strategists who can make bold, data-driven decisions instead of relying on old approaches, says Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.
He said local authorities were on the front line of public service and faced increasingly complex challenges ranging from climate change and food security to rapid digital transformation.
Chow said they must learn to work across administrative boundaries rather than operate in silos, particularly when dealing with problems that did not conveniently stop at council borders.
“Challenges such as flash floods, traffic congestion and environmental issues do not recognise administrative boundaries,” he said.
He said cooperation between the Federal Government, state governments and local authorities was crucial in tackling such problems comprehensively.
Chow said strong local authorities were particularly important as Penang continued attracting major investments, which would bring greater demands for infrastructure and better urban services.
Penang recorded RM17.3bil in approved manufacturing investments in the first half of this year, up 38% year on year and accounting for 34% of Malaysia's total approved manufacturing investments.
He said investments on such a scale needed to be supported by a strong urban ecosystem.
As more investments flowed in, demand would grow for smart infrastructure, efficient waste management and greater urban liveability, making local authorities crucial facilitators of development.
Chow said this in his speech at the National Local Authorities Convention and national-level World Environmental Health Day celebration in Kepala Batas on Saturday (Sept 12).
Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming was present at the convention, which brought together more than 1,000 local authority delegates from across the country.
Chow said good local governance should ultimately be measured by its effect on people's lives rather than the sophistication of applications or systems developed by councils.
He said Penang's two city councils had pursued different areas of improvement, with the Penang Island City Council obtaining ISO 37001 Anti-Bribery Management System certification and a SIRIM ESG quality certification.
The Seberang Perai City Council, he said, had pursued a low-carbon urban model through the circular economy and sustainable financial management with communities.
Chow reminded local authorities that star ratings were not an end in themselves and that public trust and satisfaction remained the true measure of their performance.
He called on councils to ensure every sen of public money was managed with accountability and provided value for money.
