A call has been made by former Sabah Minister Datuk Frankie Poon for the privatisation of the Sandakan Municipal Council (MPS). He made this suggestion after receiving numerous complaints about the lack of maintenance and cleanliness of public amenities. Poon, who is the Tanjong Papat rep, believes that privatising the MPS would address these issues as well as improve the collection of taxes and assessments.
He stated, “The council would collect more income as property and business owners alike would be more eager to settle their dues to the council diligently and speedily. Instead, MPS seem more focused on collections of dues rather than (improving performance).” His statement was made on Wednesday (Dec 13).
This is not the first time Poon and other Sandakan representatives have raised issues regarding MPS’ performance and services to the public. In October, he urged MPS to put on hold an increase in house assessment rates from 2024. The previous month, Parti Warisan assemblymen from the Sandakan area also opposed the increment due to suffering from the high cost of living.
During a state assembly session in March 2022, MPS came under criticism from a number of lawmakers over its alleged lack of services to Sandakan residents. Poon highlighted issues such as bad roads and a sewage problem in the town area. Former state local government and housing minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun had also expressed the need for improvements in Sandakan before it could attain city status.
Poon emphasized the need for the Sabah Local Government and Housing Ministry to ensure that SMC was run efficiently, which would also ensure investors were not discouraged. He suggested that by having a privatised council, everything would be based on time and delivery, ensuring a proactive approach to resolving issues before they arise.
He also raised concerns about MPS’ efficiency despite having two deputy presidents and called for a proactive council that resolves issues before they escalate.
