Latest news with #MinistryofLocalGovernmentandHousing
Daily Express
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Express
DCM urges councillors to adopt ‘go the extra mile' principle
Published on: Friday, May 16, 2025 Published on: Fri, May 16, 2025 By: Azmie Lim Text Size: Dr Joachim with the Lahad Datu District Councillors. LAHAD DATU: Members of the District Council must adopt the 'go the extra mile' attitude to achieve success and excellence while delivering the local government services. Deputy Chief Minister of Local Government and Housing, Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam, said such attitude would enable the members to do more than what is expected which would differentiate them from those who merely perform their duties – this would make an impact on the people. Advertisement 'Going the extra mile means we are willing to give more than what we are being asked to put in. This is the key to real success. 'We could not operate solely within the usual path, we must be brave to act further,' he said when officiating the handover of appointment letters and swearing-in of Lahad Datu District Councillors for 2025-2027, Thursday. 'The councillors must not only fulfil their basic responsibilities but also go to the ground, listen to the people, resolve local issues and continuously seek improvement in their services with integrity, trust, teamwork and accountability. 'I believe with efforts and commitments, teamwork and trustworthiness, the District Council will achieve greater excellence and earn the people's respect,' he said. Dr Joachim also called on the newly appointed District Council Members to remain united and work together in achieving the common goal. He said everyone must row together in the same direction. 'View every challenge as a learning opportunity and do not be afraid of making decisions in the interest of the people. 'We must be brave to move forward. Mistakes are not obstacles but guidance. Our duty is to ensure people always receive the best services,' he added. Also present were Datuk Dr Jamili Nais, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government and Housing, Lahad Datu District Officer and Lahad Datu District Council Chairman, Firuz Idzualdeen Mohd Dzul and Lahad Datu District Council Executive Officer, Jackley Gielbert @ Lontou. * Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss. * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Daily Express
10-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Express
643 roadside traders entitled to aid: Jeffrey
Published on: Saturday, May 10, 2025 Published on: Sat, May 10, 2025 By: Clarence Dol Text Size: Dr Joachim (middle) poses for a photo with the roadside small traders who received aid for Ranau district. Kundasang: A total of 643 small roadside stall traders throughout Sabah have been identified as eligible to receive one-off assistance amounting to RM5,000 as announced in the tabling of the Sabah State Budget 2025. Deputy Chief Minister II Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam who announced this said that the list of aid recipients was finalised after a comprehensive verification process carried out by a special committee involving the Ministry of Local Government and Housing (KKTP), the State Ministry of Finance and all Local Authorities (PBT). 'A field trip programme was carried out to obtain data on small roadside stall traders in all districts. 'After research was carried out based on the established mechanism, a total of 643 traders have been identified as eligible to receive this assistance,' he said. He was speaking when officiating the Kick-Off Ceremony for the Handover of Upgrading Efforts for the Community and the General Public (UNTUKMU) at the Sabah state level at the Kundasang Cultural Stage, here Thursday. Dr Joachim, who is also the Minister of Local Government and Housing, said that of the total, 47 recipients from the Ranau district received the assistance in the form of a one-off cash contribution worth RM5,000 each. He said that the initiative is a sign of the State Government's concern for the plight of small traders who are facing challenges such as increased operating costs, lack of capital and unstable business locations. He also considered small traders as micro-economic drivers who play an important role in providing services to the local community. 'Hopefully this assistance can be put to good use, whether to purchase equipment, as additional capital, or to further expand existing businesses,' he said. The ceremony on Thursday also saw the handover of mock cheques to the PBTs involved before the phased distribution of assistance to other districts is implemented. Also present were Deputy Permanent Secretary II of the KKTP, Faridah Giau; Ranau District Officer, Tinus Manggam; President of the Penampang Municipal Council, Francis Chong; representative of the Ranau Member of Parliament, Hussen Haji Jirat; representative of the Karanaan Assemblyman, Datuk Faimin Kamin; representative of the Paginatan Assemblyman, Hishamuddin Harun; Ranau Deputy Police Chief, ASP Edianshah Endal; KKTP officers and Community Leaders. * Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss. * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Daily Express
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Daily Express
Deputy Chief Minister urges fast resolution of public complaints
Published on: Tuesday, April 29, 2025 Published on: Tue, Apr 29, 2025 Text Size: Dr Joachim being greeted at the event. Kota Kinabalu: Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam wants agencies and local authorities (PBTs) under the Ministry of Local Government and Housing to fast-track public complaint resolutions as frontline service providers. 'Issues that can be resolved immediately should not wait for further instructions to ensure public welfare remains the top priority,' he said at the Ministry's Hari Raya Aidilfitri cum Kaamatan celebration at Wisma Innoprise, here, Monday. 'I remind everyone to provide the best possible service to our stakeholders. Ensure all complaints and problems within our scope, role and responsibilities are resolved as effectively as possible,' he said. He noted that the recent State Assembly sitting served as an important platform for checks and balances on the performance of ministries, agencies and PBTs, while also providing crucial feedback on ground-level issues. He also extended his appreciation to the Ministry's staff, agencies and PBTs for their commitment and dedication in serving the public, but reminded them that their work is constantly being evaluated by the people. 'Our success does not depend on any single individual, but rather on the cooperation and efforts of all parties involved,' he said, adding that every action and decision must reflect high integrity, sincerity and professionalism. The event saw over 500 staff, agency representatives and local authority officers celebrating the joint festivities in a convivial atmosphere. * Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss. * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Daily Express
28-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Express
‘Hefty fines better than jailing errant builders'
Published on: Monday, April 28, 2025 Published on: Mon, Apr 28, 2025 By: Hayati Dzulkifli Text Size: Roland (third right) witnessing the MoU signing ceremony, alongside Chua (second right), Johnny (right), David (third left) and Chin. Kota Kinabalu: Heavy fine is more appropriate than jail for developers of abandoned housing projects in Sabah. According to Sabah Housing and Real Estate Developers Association (Shareda) President Datuk Sr Chua Soon Ping, jailing them would not help homebuyers recover their losses. Instead, ordering them to pay hefty fines in millions of Ringgit would directly compensate buyers' losses in repaying housing loans. 'When housing projects are abandoned, we (Shareda) are of the view that the punishment should not be imprisonment, because if we put the errant developers in prison and make them bankrupt, then they have no money to pay the affected homebuyers. 'Some developers may even prefer to be in jail to avoid paying the fines. Therefore, fine them two or three million and use that money to compensate the buyers. You imprison the developer(s), the buyer gets nothing.' Shareda did propose penalties to the Ministry of Local Government and Housing, but the latter wanted to standardise the jail term provision with the Federal law for the offence. Chua said this after signing Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) between Shareda and GreenRE Sdn Bhd and Shareda with the Borneo International Centre for Arbitration and Mediation (BICAM) at Baysuite, Likas Bay, here. He was commenting on a recent amendment to the Housing Development (Control and Licensing) (Amendment) Enactment 2023, passed in the State Assembly on April 17, 2025. The approved amendment saw the maximum jail term for errant developers revised from five years to three – a move that sparked debate, with some viewing it as a reduction in punishment. He claimed the adjustment was not a reduction in penalty but a 'rectification,' aligning Sabah's laws with the national standard already practised in Sarawak and Kuala Lumpur. 'It was never supposed to be five years. That was a mistake passed last year. Now it is corrected to three years, consistent with the rest of the country,' he said, when asked to comment to criticism from several assembly members who argued for the five-year jail sentence to be maintained. Chua also said imposing jail which is criminal punishment could also push developers away from building residential homes and impose risks which discourage them from engaging in residential projects. 'Developers may consider not to build residential projects anymore as too risky under these laws. Instead, Many are shifting to commercial, industrial or tourism projects,' he said, although he has never seen a developer being prisoned for abandoning housing projects in the country. While supporting regulations to protect buyers, he said Shareda believes the current legal framework could turn unintentional business failures into criminal acts. 'Many cases of project abandonment are caused by circumstances beyond developers' control such as economic downturns, tariffs, or global disruptions like the Covid-19 pandemic. 'Every businessman wants to complete the (housing) project and make a profit. Nobody benefits from abandoning a development,' he said, adding that some rogue developers, mostly from peninsula and Sarawak, who are not Shareda members, have tarnished the industry. On another important amendment, Chua said the Minister is empowered to exclude bodies or agencies under the control of the Local Government and Housing Ministry or Federal government from any or all provision of the Enactment. 'Previously, agencies including Lembaga Pembangunan Perumahan dan Bandar (LPPB) can be charged for incomplete or abandoned housing projects 'After the passing of the Bill, the key change involves exempting LPBB (Lembaga Pembangunan Perumahan dan Bandar), a government-linked company (GLC) tasked with developing affordable housing, from being criminally charged if their projects are abandoned. 'The exemption was necessary because LPBB operates under high risk due to the nature of affordable housing projects. 'If civil servants working in a GLC could be imprisoned, nobody would want to work there, it may seem unfair, but there's no choice,' he said. Chua added that LPBB had appealed to the Chief Minister for this protection, warning that without it, staffing and completing government-backed affordable housing projects would become even more difficult. * Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss. * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
