Kuching South City Council

The Council of the City of Kuching South (Malay: Majlis Bandaraya Kuching Selatan, abbreviated MBKS) is the city council which administers the southern part of the city of Kuching in the state of Sarawak, Malaysia. This council was established after the city was officially granted city status on 1 August 1988. Their jurisdiction covers an area of 61.53 square kilometres.

Council of the City of Kuching South
Majlis Bandaraya Kuching Selatan
Agency overview
Formed1 August 1988 (1988-08-01)
Preceding agency
  • Kuching Municipal Council
JurisdictionSouthern part of the City of Kuching
HeadquartersJalan Padungan, 93675 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
MottoBerkhidmat Untuk Masyarakat
Service For the People
Agency executives
  • Dato Wee Hong Seng, Mayor
  • Hilmy Othman, Deputy Mayor
  • Zainab Binti Haji Marzali, Acting City Secretary
Websitembks.sarawak.gov.my

The council consists of the mayor plus thirty councillors appointed to serve a one-year term by the Sarawak State Government. DBKU is responsible for public health and sanitation, waste removal and management, town planning, environmental protection and building control, social and economic development and general maintenance functions of urban infrastructure Majlis Perbandaran Kuching (MPK).

History

During the days of the Brooke Administration, some semblances of the functions of the Council were performed by the Public Works Department. Sir Charles Vyner Brooke was installed as the Third Rajah on 22 July 1918. In 1921 the Kuching Sanitary and Municipal Advisory Board was formed. Following a new legislation, the Board became the Municipal Authority for Kuching on 1 January 1934 marking the early beginning of what would in due course become the local authority for Kuching, known as the Kuching Municipal Board.

At the outbreak of hostilities in 1941, the Central Government was giving consideration to the question of according full municipal status to the Board, but the war interrupted this and the question was not considered again until the resumption of Civil Government in 1946, at which time Sarawak had also become a colony of Great Britain.

In 1947, it was found necessary to introduce a modified form of Committee System as the work of the Board had grown to such as extent as to make it impracticable for the Municipal Commissioners to deal with the various problems of administration in a single monthly meeting.

In 1949, the Governor of Sarawak directed that the Chairman of the Kuching Municipal Board should submit a comprehensive detailed scheme to convert the Municipality into a local government entity, financially self-supporting and managing its own affairs, subject to such safeguards as might be deemed advisable. As a result of this action the Municipality became autonomous on 1 January 1953.

The municipal council at this time was formed on a purely racial basis of twenty-four representatives of the public, with a British officer as chairman. The governor in council appointed the chairman, as he also did six other councillors of various nationalities who represented different interests in the lives of the local community. The other eighteen councillors with approval of the governor were nominated by the various associations, who looked after the interest of the Chinese, Malay, Indian, Ceylonese, Dayak and British communities.

In 1956, initiatives were made by the governor to plan for the first free election, which eventually took place on 4 November. A total of 58 persons offered themselves as candidates for the 9 wards and 278 seats on the new Council. The newly elected Council took office on 1 December 1956. The President and Vice President were elected from among the Councillors and held office for a period of one year, with eligibility for re-election. Free election lasted only for several years.

The 3-year term of office of the 1963 elected Councillors should have expired on 30 June 1966. However, due to certain political development in the State, the tenure of office was extended by the State Government and the Councillors who were elected at the 3rd local council elections in 1963 continued to hold office until 14 October 1981 when the Council was restructured. The enactment of the Kuching Municipal (Amendment) (No.2) Ordinances 1977 made 15 December 1977 among other things, led the elective system by an appointment system of Councillors. It was provided that the Council should consist of the Chairman, the Deputy Chairman; and not less than eight and not more than twenty-four Councillors to be appointed by the Governor to serve a term not extending three years. This amendment Ordinance was only brought into force with effect from 15 October 1981 on which date a new set of Councillors were appointed and all the Councillors elected in 1963 ceased to hold office on 14 October 1981.

On 1 August 1988, the Municipality was elevated to city status, making it the fourth city in Malaysia after George Town, Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh. This historic date also saw the administrative division of the City into Kuching North (covering a significant part of the central areas of downtown Kuching, previously administered by the Kuching Municipal Council and including new areas across the Sarawak River, previously administered by the Kuching Rural District Council) and Kuching South (covering part of the areas previously administered by the Kuching Municipal Council to the east of downtown Kuching and come new areas to the south of the former Municipality, previously administered by the Kuching Rural District Council) comprising an area of 61.53 km2.

The Council of the City of Kuching South is a corporation established under the Local Authorities Ordinance, 1996. Like all other local authorities, it is essentially an authority providing public services within its area of jurisdiction comprising an area of 61.53 km2.

The Council now consists of a Mayor, a Deputy Mayor and 30 Councillors, all of whom are appointed by the State Government of Sarawak. The State Government appoints the Councillors on a 2-year term, renewable at its discretion. The Councillors represent the various political component parties of the coalition government of Sarawak. The Councillors are responsible for formulating the Councils policies and for ensuring that the Administrator implements these policies in an efficient and effective manner.

The mode by which the Council conducts its business is through the committee system. The Standing Committees normally meet once a month to deal with matters under their respective terms of reference. The Committees make decisions in the form of recommendations to the Full Council for its adoption at its ordinary meeting, which is usually held at the end of the month. The City Secretary is the Chief Administrative Officer of the City Council. Its various divisions, namely the Administration, the Treasury, the Building & Landscaping, the Engineering, the Rating and Valuation, the Public Health, and the Licensing undertake the functions of the Organisation. Each head of division controls expenditure as approved in the annual estimates of the Council. The mode by which the Council conducts its business is through the committee system. The Standing Committees normally meet once a month to deal with matters under their respective terms of reference. The Committees make decisions in the form of recommendations to the Full Council for its adoption at its ordinary meeting, which is usually held at the end of the month.

Appointed mayors of Kuching South

No.MayorTerm startTerm end
1.Song Swee Guan1 August 198831 December 1996
2.Chan Seng Khai1 January 199731 July 2005
3.Chong Ted Tsiung25 September 20053 August 2007
4.James Chan Khay Syn4 June 200831 August 2019
5.Wee Hong Seng1 September 2019Incumbent

List of Councillors

  SUPP (15)   PBB (8)   PDP (3)   PRS (3)   SDNU (1)

Zone 1

AreaPostcode
Green Heights93250
Hui Sing Garden輝盛花園93350
Kuching International Airport古晉國際機場93250
Seng Goon Garden承恩花園
Stampin實淡賓路93350
PartyCouncillorPost
SUPPPhilip Liaw Kian SinChairperson
SUPPIu Cho HengDeputy Chairperson
PRSAzizi MorniMember
PRSTimothy Julius

Zone 2

AreaPostcode
Borneo Development Corporation (BDC) GardenBDC花園93350
Stutong斯楮東
Tabuan Heights達閩高地
PartyCouncillorPost
SUPPLee Jun ChoiChairperson
SDNUWilfred Mujah AtonDeputy Chairperson
SUPPShankar Ram Pohumall AsnaniMember
PBBDzamaluddin Zainudin

Zone 3

AreaPostcode
Batu Lintang峇都令當93200
Bormill Estate婆美房地產93150
Kenny Hill肯尼山莊93350
Laman Bong Chin黃請園93200
Marbel Garden93350
Ong Tiang Swee Road王長水路93200
Upper Laksamana Cheng Ho Road鄭和統帥路93350
PartyCouncillorPost
SUPPMok Chuang PingChairperson
SUPPLim Swee ChiawDeputy Chairperson
SUPPKatharine Voon Yian WieMember
PBBDrahman Jaladin

Zone 4

AreaPostcode
Sama Jaya Free Industrial Zone莎玛再也自由工业区93350
Setia Raja Road斯帝亞拉者路
Tabuan Desa達閩德沙
Tabuan Dusun科丹地路
Tabuan Laru達閩拉魯
Tabuan Melayu Village達閩馬來村93450
Tabuan Park達閩園
PartyCouncillorPost
PBBIskandar SharkawiChairperson
PBBSebali ChikDeputy Chairperson
PDPYong Li NaMember
PRSRosaline Neging
PBBMohamad Ali Han

Zone 5

AreaPostcode
Foochow Road福州路93300
Padungan浮羅岸93100
Petanak Road畢打那路
Song Thian Cheok Road宋天祝路
PartyCouncillorPost
SUPPLau Sie TungChairperson
PBBSufian AtengDeputy Chairperson
SUPPBong Lian HuanMember
SUPPJong Yean Pin

Zone 6

AreaPostcode
Bintawa Road民達華路93450
Kilang Road工廠路
Peace Road和平路
Pelabuhan Road碼头路
Pending朋嶺
Semangat Road
Riverview Garden河景園93050
Sungai Apong雙溪亞邦93450
PartyCouncillorPost
SUPPKho Teck WanChairperson
SUPPOng Chee ChiangDeputy Chairperson
PBBAbdul Baderi SahnmatMember
SUPPChai Ju Loon

Zone 7

AreaPostcode
Chawan Road詔安路93300
Foochow No. 1 Road福州第一路
Kenyalang Park肯雅蘭園
Supreme Garden
Uplands Road高原路93350
PartyCouncillorPost
SUPPGoh Tze HuiChairperson
SUPPPatrick Gordon SongDeputy Chairperson
PDPLamanu TalitMember
PBBMulok Saban
PDPTheresa Dunstan Udam

See also

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