KUCHING: Councils and agencies under the Ministry of Public Health, Housing and Local Government (MPHLG) stand as the frontliners of service delivery in Sarawak, says Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian.
He said local councils shoulder the brunt of public expectations and are the first responders to daily community issues.
“Most of you are from councils, or even from agencies like the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID). All these are frontline agencies. Any issue, (call) council. Street light, council. Water pipe leaking, council. Everything is council,” he said during the Ministry’s Awards Ceremony held here last night (Dec 9).
Dr Sim, who is also MPHLG Minister, praised frontline officers for maintaining professionalism despite constant public scrutiny.
Citing the example of Kuching South City Council (MBKS) Mayor Datuk Wee Hong Seng, he lauded the mayor’s commitment to public engagement.
“Every Saturday, Mayor Wee is on Facebook Live addressing complaints — good times, bad times, even during COVID. I want to congratulate him for serving as our spokesperson to clarify all sorts of issues, because otherwise the council would always shoulder the blame,” he said.
Dr Sim noted that despite widespread criticism, councils continue to work tirelessly, often with limited resources.
“A lot of people forget that our councils have not increased assessment rates since the 1970s. But everything else has gone up. Everyone works extra hard just to maintain parking at 20 cents, a rate from 25 years ago because our councillors want to help and ensure the cost of living doesn’t rise,” he said.
He stressed that the councils’ dedication has earned Sarawak national-level recognition.
“You have won many awards, not in Kuching, but in West Malaysia. Early adopters of smart city initiatives, Five-Star ratings, and more. We are the ‘jungle of Borneo’, yet even our Sarawak SDGs Roadmap for local councils is above the national standard,” he said.
Dr Sim said these achievements demonstrate that Sarawak is setting higher benchmarks as it advances toward its development vision.
“If people respect us, it means we must do well, we must do the right thing. Our SDG Roadmap, whether city council, municipal council, or rural district council is above the national average. That means we are better than 50%, if not higher.”
He reiterated that the work of councils and agencies forms the core of Sarawak nation-building, a responsibility shared by every officer in the ministry.
“As Sarawak moves forward, my 2030 will be a different Sarawak from now. It is you and me who will make the difference. We are building Sarawak up now. You play your role, I play my role and together we build a prosperous Sarawak,” he said.
A total of 369 civil servants received the Excellent Service Award (APC) 2024, recognising their dedication, integrity and outstanding performance.
MPHLG Permanent Secretary Datuk Elizabeth Loh said the recipients comprised ministry officers as well as representatives from local authorities, DID Sarawak and the Sarawak Sewerage Services Department (SSD), representing about eight per cent of the ministry’s top-performing staff each year.
