Jagdeep Singh Deo at a press conference. Source: Buletin Mutiara
One of the strategic initiatives under the Penang2030 vision is to accelerate programme delivery and institutional reform. The eventual goal is to create a culture and government system that is based on good governance, integrity, accountability, and efficiency.
To this end, the Penang state government has introduced two strategies: the first is the launch of the Seberang Perai City Council’s (MBSP) first audit charter, which is also the first of its kind among local councils in the country. The audit charter serves as a guideline to delineate the roles of auditors, auditee, and the internal auditing process to MBSP staff since MBSP’s internal auditing is now carried out by its internal audit unit instead of the National Audit Department (NAD).
The Penang government will also set key performance indicators (KPIs) for all local councillors under the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) and the MBSP to evaluate their performance. “The implementation of these KPIs can also ensure that the councillors carry out their duties and roles diligently, effectively and perfectly for the people’s benefit,” explained State Local Government, Housing, Town, and Country Planning Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo.
These KPIs assess councillors based on three categories: their attendance at council meetings and events held by the local council, their participation in conducting cleanliness programmes in their respective areas and strategic use of allocation for their representative areas, as well as how well the councillors manage public complaints. This will encourage councillors to personally meet people on the ground to understand more about local issues faced by the residents in their respective areas and accelerate problem solving.