Seberang Perai to be declared city council on Sept 16
Seberang Perai Municipal Council (MPSP) will be upgraded to city council status come Sept 16, which is coincidentally Malaysia Day.
The move is in line with Section 4(2) of the 1976 Local Government Act, where the local authority and the minister, via a gazette, can change or upgrade the status of a local council...
Seberang Perai Municipal Council (MPSP) will be upgraded to city council status come Sept 16, which is coincidentally Malaysia Day.
The move is in line with Section 4(2) of the 1976 Local Government Act, where the local authority and the minister, via a gazette, can change or upgrade the status of a local council.
MPSP president Rozali Mohamud will be appointed the first mayor for Seberang Perai once the city council is declared on Sept 16.
"We have prepared 18 programmes and six new guidelines to commemorate the event and they will all be revealed on Sept 16," Rozali told reporters at a press conference in Komtar today.
Accompanying Rozali were Penang executive councillor Jagdeep Singh Deo, assemblypersons Satees Muniandy (Bagan Dalam), Heng Lee Lee (Berapit), Ong Ah Teong (Batu Lanchang) and Khalid Mehtab (Bertam).
Jagdeep said the event would be a "historic moment" for the state as it is the only state which will be fully run by two city councils.
"We have sent an official letter to the palace to obtain the approval of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong so that we can declare the Seberang Perai City Council on Sept 16," Jagdeep said.
He said the date of the event was approved by the state executive council on June 26 this year.
The MPSP had fulfilled several criteria, set by the Penang Island City Council (MPPP) on June 3, 2008, allowing it to be upgraded to city council status.
This includes having over 500,000 residents and receiving an annual income of more than RM100 million.
Jagdeep said that since he took over the local government portfolio after GE14, he had placed importance on upgrading Seberang Perai as a city council.
He brought the application to upgrade the municipality to the state exco and met with Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin on the matter.
"We were informed that no state could have more than one city council but I did not agree to it. Zuraidi was also of the same opinion as me," Jagdeep said.
"Therefore, on Nov 7 last year, we brought up the application to upgrade Seberang Perai to city council status to Putrajaya, and after six months, Zuraida informed us that the issue was discussed in the cabinet," he added.
The cabinet, via a letter dated May 16, informed the Penang government that it has approved on May 8 the application to upgrade Seberang Perai to city council status.
"As of today, we are told that the approval letter for the city council to be declared on Sept 16 is at the palace, awaiting His Majesty's signature," Jagdeep said.
"We hope His Majesty will sign the letter so that we can realise this event on Sept 16, as planned," he added.
On July 1, 1974, Seberang Perai was governed by three district councils - North, Central and South.
These were later combined and on Dec 15, 1975, the three districts were upgraded into the Seberang Perai Municipal Council (MPSP).
The Penang Municipal Council was upgraded to Penang Island City Council on Jan 1, 2015.
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