NEWLY-appointed Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP) mayor Datuk Baderul Amin Abdul Hamid is dedicated to continuing the legacy of delivering excellent services to residents.
Baderul Amin, 58, took the oath before Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow at MBSP headquarters in Bandar Perda, Bukit Mertajam on June 26. He replaced former mayor Datuk Azhar Arshad, who has been promoted to the position of State Secretary of Melaka, effective June 24 this year.
Born on April 27, 1966, in Parit Buntar, Perak, Baderul Amin started his service with MBSP (formerly known as Seberang Prai Municipal Council) in 1991 as an engineer until he was promoted to chief engineer. In April 2022, he was appointed as MBSP secretary before being named mayor.
“Since my background is in engineering, I like to solve problems by going to the ground or in MBSP, we call it ‘management by working around’.
“With this approach, I can better analyse the problem and find the best solution. I will continue this method even as the mayor.
“I also want to emphasise the concept of ‘Back To Basics’, focusing on the three most important aspects of a local authority: cleanliness, enforcement and finance.
“This approach is crucial for increasing productivity among the MBSP staff,” Baderul Amin said during an interview at MBSP headquarters recently.
Baderul Amin highlighted the need for significant improvements in cleanliness.
“Currently, I have implemented communal cleanups between MBSP departments in certain places on the mainland to reduce cost.
“There are also other initiatives planned to be implemented to improve cleanliness in Seberang Perai,” he said.
He also mentioned a system designed to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance MBSP’s finances.
“MBSP has almost 5,000 staff members. I have implemented a system where every staff member or officer on the ground can report any issues within MBSP’s jurisdiction. They must provide essential information such as photographs and the exact location to the relevant department in the council.
“This system allows staff from related departments to address problems without needing to go to the ground, increasing productivity and saving costs.”
Additionally, he has also organised a competition to reward staff who submit the most reports about various problems they observed in Seberang Perai, such as drainage problems, garbage collection, road conditions, and more.
Acknowledging MBSP’s limited financial capability, Baderul Amin noted that the city council cannot solely depend on the assessment tax as its main revenue.
“So, I look at another alternative which is the non-tax revenue. We aim to increase MBSP revenue by focusing more on the non-tax revenue such as through investment and participating in various programmes to generate income,” he said.
Baderul Amin plans to prioritise small-scale projects that positively impact the community, address traffic woes in Seberang Perai, reduce bureaucracy in factory construction to attract foreign investment and implement flood mitigation projects. Although many flood mitigation projects have been implemented over the years, he acknowledges that more needs to be done.
To improve security, a total of 800 closed-circuit televisions (CCTVs) will be installed next year in Seberang Perai, in addition to the existing 250 CCTVs.
Baderul Amin welcomes all feedback and ideas from all his staff members, including local councillors and the residents in Seberang Perai, to make Seberang Perai a better place for the future.
Story by Riadz Akmal
Pix by Darwina Mohd Daud