MBPP must buck up, residents' association says amid new performance system

New Straits Times

26-05-2025

GEORGE TOWN: The Tanjung Bungah Residents' Association (TBRA) has called on the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) to urgently improve its performance, citing a long list of alleged failures affecting public trust and city management.
This follows a warning from Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming that local councils performing poorly under the newly-introduced "traffic light" evaluation system could face penalties, including funding cuts.
TBRA chairman Zulfikar Abdul Aziz claimed the council has fallen short in several key areas and rated MBPP "four out of 10" for its effectiveness.
"We are not happy with MBPP's performance. The council has failed to implement a gazetted local plan since 2008, despite detailed proposals by civil groups like Penang Forum.
"This lack of direction has real consequences, like the court case loss over the Sungai Ara Sunway project where public interest was clearly not prioritised," he told the New Straits Times.
TBRA is one of the most vocal residents' association in the state.
Zulfikar also criticised the council for allegedly neglecting public transport infrastructure, including poor pedestrian walkways and impractical bus stop designs, which discouraged the use of buses.
"There is minimal participation from ratepayers in planning. Every state constituency should have at least one townhall a year to ensure residents have a say. The council must start listening," he claimed.
Zulfikar also raised concerns about how councillors were allegedly appointed, urging MBPP to introduce mock elections to improve transparency and public representation.
Other ongoing issues claimed include:
* poor management of food and market complexes;
* the incomplete rollout of the Penang Smart Parking project, with many car parks still unequipped with the promised technology;
* repeated assessment tax hikes without clear improvement in services;
* weak recycling efforts in residential areas; and,
* renovations of public spaces done without consulting affected neighbourhoods.
"The council collects a large amount of revenue each year, but the outcomes do not match.
"It is not just about spending, it is about effective spending. That starts with a competent team of councillors and a commitment to engage the public regularly," Zulfikar claimed.
He warned the city council to buck up, or risk serious consequences.
Under the traffic light evaluation system, any local authority rated "red light" would have their allocation withdrawn; for "yellow", the allocation would be reduced; but if rated "green", the allocation would be increased.
For local authorities who received a red light, the president and secretary would be called in for counselling and required to attend a performance enhancement course.
The NST has reached out to MBPP Mayor Datuk A. Rajendran on how it intends to achieve the desired results under the newly introduced traffic light evaluation system and still awaiting response.