By Karen Bong and Nur Ashikin Louis
KUCHING, July 16: Kuching South City Council (MBKS) mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng, Deputy Mayor Hilmy Othman and 30 councillors took their oath for an extension of six more months of service at the MBKS building here today.
Sarawak Deputy Premier and Minister for Public Health, Housing and Local Government Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian was present to witness the swearing-in ceremony.
Wee was first sworn-in as MBKS Mayor on Sept 3, 2019, succeeding Datuk James Chan who assumed office from June 2008 to Aug 2019.
On Sept 1, 2021, he took his oath to continue his service for the second term.
Wee in his speech recalled that his journey as a mayor came at a time of turmoil where he was first sworn-in during the haze crisis and then, Covid-19 pandemic, which led to him gaining the nickname ‘Mayor of the Masks’.
He further shared that over the last two and a half years of service, his council has worked hard to serve the people especially during the Covid-19 pandemic where the council has to keep up with new standard operating procedures (SOPs) which was always changing on a daily basis due to the spread and mutation of the coronavirus.
Among others, the council staff also played an important role in helping the Sarawak government to roll out the Bantuan Khas Sarawakku Sayang (BKSS) assistance such as suspension of license fees, food aid and provision of information, as well as explaining and enforcing the changes to the members of the public.
Moving forward, Wee hoped to help the city grow and expand into a new era especially in rejuvenating the city post Covid-19.
“First, we are bringing back so much of what we lost in the last two years. Our markets are bustling once again. Our coffeeshops are full. Our Kuching festival is returning, bringing economic opportunity and creativity to MBKS grounds.
“We are reviving one of our very important initiatives to support our environment, pushing out rice straws across the city to substitute for plastic. This started before the pandemic and so far has prevented more than 1.5 million straws from entering our landfills and our waterways.
“We continue great work with non-governmental organisations like Naked Wonders and WormingUp, ensuring more sustainable practices to protect our incredible nature. Now we will expand our ban on polystyrene and plastic throughout our markets and hawker centres, working together towards the goal of a better Sarawak for all,” he said. — DayakDaily
