Vacant MBSJ councillor spot reserved for BN now filled by PKR

SUBANG JAYA: PKR’S Nanthakumar Poapalan has been appointed to the vacant councillor post in the Subang Jaya City Council (MBSJ) which had been earlier reserved for Selangor Barisan Nasional (BN).

Nanthakumar, 33, took up the seat for the 2024-2025 term after it was left empty for three months. The seat was supposed to be filled by a BN representative as part of the quota for the unity government in the state. However, the coalition failed to name anyone for the post.

Sri Devi Chenchiah, 38, from PKR was also appointed as MBSJ councillor to fill up the seat vacated by Gunasunthari Kanniappan from PKR who quit on April 1 due to personal reasons.

With her resignation, MBSJ had two vacancies to fill.

Both Nanthakumar, who is involved in landscape business, and Sri Devi, who is in car park management, took their oaths and signed their letters of appointment in front of Subang Jaya mayor Datuk Mohd Fauzi Mohd Yatim and deputy mayor Zulkurnain Che Ali on April 24.

Mohd Fauzi said Nanthakumar and Sri Devi’s term was effective April 8, 2024 to Dec 31, 2025.

In January this year, all 12 local authorities in Selangor had completed their swearing-in ceremonies but left 20 local councillor seats available to BN and its component parties.

Both Nanthakumar and Sri Devi said that they would not only represent their communities and residents, but would work with MBSJ to shape council policies to build strong relationships with community groups.

Mohd Fauzi 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 the 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 added.

MBSJ had appointed 23 councillors — six new faces and 17 reappointments — for the 2024-2025 term on Jan 19, with the remaining one seat to be filled by BN.

DAP had 13 councillors, PKR six and four were from Amanah. With the new appointments, PKR now has seven councillors in MBSJ.