‘Councillors must have their ears to the ground’

Councillors must have experience in local government matters and represent the interests of communities in their areas.

Selangor local government and tourism committee chairman Ng Suee Lim said a councillor must take the initiative to understand the workings of the local council to be able to help ratepayers.

“Councillors must know what is going on in his or her area and help solve issues or provide answers to questions that a community may have on assessment tax, trading licences, clogged drains, rubbish collection, and floods, as well as the general well-being of a neighbourhood,” he stated.

He said although it was the duty of a councillor to represent ratepayers, they also have a duty to serve the local government as a member of its administration.

He was replying to Datuk Dr Halim Tamuri (PN-Paya Jaras) who asked about the criteria of appointing a councillor and who would assess them annually.

“Councillors must keep their ears to the ground so that they can serve the people and advise the council on what is going on in the neighbourhood,” said Ng.

“They are among the decision- makers of council policies.

“Area councillors are responsible for helping the people understand the policies and projects of their councils,” he added.

Ng said councillors must strive to improve the quality of service, practise good governance at all times and ensure that decisions made at the sub-committee and full board meetings were favourable to the people.

“They must be impartial and not allow any parties to exploit their position,” he said.

Based on a state government circular that came into effect on Sept 1, 2021, he said a councillor was appointed after taking into consideration criteria such as being Malaysian citizens above the age of 21, being fluent in Bahasa Malaysia, and must have lived in the local authority area for at least five years or in a neighbouring district.

“He or she must not be a government employee or a bankrupt when nominated.

“We also advise potential candidates not to hold appointments in government-linked bodies like village head, chairman of a community management council, coordinator of ‘Pusat Wanita Berdaya’ and local Selangor youth movement, to avoid any potential conflict,” he said.

On the assessment of a councillor’s performance, Ng said it was carried out annually with the mayor or council president focusing on 11 key performance indicators.

“These are attendance at meetings, commitment to work, knowledge in handling matters, decision-making, communication skills, effectiveness, leadership, integrity and discipline as well as punctuality,” he added.