Alan Ling Criticizes City Council's Delayed Handling of Livelihood Issues; Urges Mayor to Enhance Supervision and Accountability

(Miri, 6th) In response to receiving complaints from citizens about the prolonged unresolved damage to local drains, former Piasau Assemblyman Alan Ling has strongly urged the Miri City Council, particularly the mayor, to seriously address livelihood issues, enhance the supervision of contractors' work efficiency, and implement accountability systems to prevent the recurrence of similar issues that affect daily life.

Alan Ling pointed out that after receiving complaints from property owners today, he visited the site at Jalan Piasau Utara and Jalan Primula1 to understand the situation. He found that the problem not only involves blocked small drainage systems but also collapsed large drains, severely affecting drainage operations and potentially leading to flash flood concerns.

“These issues are not significant; the key lies in the city council's handling efficiency and attitude. Many citizens have complained through various channels but have yet to receive a response. The relevant complaints also lack follow-up and transparent progress reports, which is disappointing,” he said.

The property owners had complained through various channels, including councilors, as early as July 2022, but after three years, there is still no development.

He criticized the city council for lacking a performance system in supervising contractors, with many contractors performing tasks perfunctorily, leading to prolonged unresolved livelihood issues, clearly exposing execution and management flaws in local government.

Alan Ling hopes the newly appointed councilors can frequently visit and thoroughly understand the issues within their jurisdiction, not just nominally 'adopt' a community. Previously, it was suggested that each councilor set up a conspicuous signboard in their responsible area for easy public contact, but the effectiveness has been limited.

He also emphasized that the city council already has complaint and supervision systems such as “Miri Cares,” and other systems like “Talikhimat,” but the key is proper implementation. “Many times, they tell you 'it's handled,' but upon inspection, no work has been done. This is what citizens are most dissatisfied with.”
 
“The city council is a large institution, but the mayor, as the top leader, cannot evade responsibility. We are not targeting individuals, but hope that every complaint should have systematic tracking, auditing, and publicly reported progress. Citizens do not need grandiloquent responses; they want practical solutions.”

He urged the city council to address issues seriously and handle complaints transparently, providing citizens with a clear timetable and response to restore public confidence in local government.