LOCAL governments in Sarawak at the district, municipal and city levels need to effect massive organisational changes and transformations as soon as possible.
There should not be any dilly-dallying to ensure that they continue to stay effective and efficient, especially in providing various essential services.
Organisational change and transformation are inevitable given the rapidly changing political and economic environment and also the growing population.
With the state government’s aggressive efforts to fast-tracking Sarawak to embrace the digital economy, this would also require the local councils to stay abreast with the latest technology in providing their services.
In addition, more people or a growing population will naturally lead to an increase in demand for the local councils’ services.
City or district councils, as we all know, are the local authorities responsible for the delivery of various essential services to communities within their jurisdiction. They provide services such as waste management, public health, housing, and environmental protection, among others.
In recent years, however, the environment in which these councils operate has been changing rapidly and has no doubt necessitated a corresponding improvement in the quality of services.
Residents expect their local councils to provide timely and high quality services to meet their needs. In addition, the emergence of new technologies has made it possible to deliver services more efficiently, and residents are increasingly demanding that these technologies be used to improve service delivery.
As it is, the local councils are currently being confronted with the increased complexity of the issues they are dealing with. A good example is environmental issues such as climate change, air pollution, and waste management, which require sophisticated approaches that are beyond the capabilities of most district councils.
Therefore, there is a need for councils to build the capacity to deal with such complex issues effectively.
Furthermore, the changing political and economic environment has also had an impact on the operations of district councils.
The government is increasingly devolving responsibilities to local authorities, which means that councils have more power to
make decisions on issues that affect their communities. At the same time, councils are facing budgetary constraints, making it challenging to deliver high-quality services to residents.
It is also clear there is a need for the councils to enhance the quality of services they provide to the public. This, however,
will require the councils to invest in and embrace technology and innovation.
For example, councils can use digital platforms to improve communication with residents, streamline service delivery, and enhance transparency. Perhaps, councils also need to invest in data analytics to better understand the needs of their communications and to identify areas where service delivery can be improved.
The implementation of the smart waste management services by the Miri city council is a good example of the council embracing and investing in technology and innovation.
Under the Miri Smart Waste Management Services, a smart truck is designed to improve collection services. It also involves the use of an app that enables the public, within a specified zone in Miri city to know the schedule of garbage collection for their area.
Using the app, the public is also able to view the estimated time of arrival of the garbage truck at the area of collection by zone.
Councils can also enhance the quality of services provided by building the capacity of the council staff. This can be achieved through training and development programmes that equip staff members with the skills and knowledge needed to deal with the complex issue effectively. In addition, the councils can collaborate with other local authorities and organisations, both locally and abroad, to share best practices and knowledge.
To date, there are 24 local councils in Sarawak including two city councils, namely Miri City Council (MCC) and Kuching South City Council (MBKS). Kuching North City Hall (DBKU) is not listed as a local authority as it is headed by a Commissioner, who is assisted by a Board of Advisors. The Commission is a corporate body directly responsible to the Premier of Sarawak.
MBKS, which largely covers the area previously under the Kuching Municipal Council (KMC), is still a local government as its powers and functions are conferred by the KMC Ordinance.
Given all the changes and new challenges, changes to the local government must be delved into with a greater sense of urgency. At the same time, the councils must be receptive to the need to change, perhaps their way of delivering their services and tackling issues.
It is understood that the process will take time as certain existing laws may need to be amended to accommodate the changes.
It will certainly be a long process to complete. But with the right approach, attitude and assistance as well as cooperation from all stakeholders, the change and transformation are achievable.
The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of the New Sarawak Tribune.
