Penang Island picks council secretary for new mayor

GEORGE TOWN – Penang Island has named its new mayor, Datuk A. Rajendran, who has served as Penang Island City Council (MBPP) secretary. 

Starting May 5, the veteran council official will serve as the fourth lord mayor since George Town regained city status in 2020, state executive councillor Jagdeep Singh Deo announced at a press conference.

Jagdeep, who oversees the local government portfolio, said Rajendran’s appointment was approved yesterday at a meeting of state executive councillors.

Rajendran replaces Datuk Yew Tung Seang, who has served in that role since 2018.

Rajendran spent 37 years as a MBPP officer and is familiar with its workings, having overseen many projects and redesigning of road systems on the island.

Penang’s capital, George Town, was granted city status by way of royal charter by the late Queen Elizabeth II on January 1, 1957, but it was not recognised by Putrajaya until 2020.

This would make Rajendra the first ethnic Indian mayor since 2020, after George Town’s city status was recognised. George Town’s very first mayor was Indian – the former Labour Party of Malaya chairman and teacher D. S. Ramanathan, who served in the 1950s and 1960s.

Jagdeep told the media that Rajendran would have heavy responsibilities and urged the council to work together with him.

The state exco added that Rajendran would be expected to steer MBPP in helping the state realise other goals, including heritage preservation, affordable housing, cleanliness and environmental protection.

Rajendran, meanwhile, said he would listen to the concerns of ratepayers and that his administration would place public engagement among its top priorities. 

Speaking about traffic congestion on the island, he urged road users to play their part in exploring greater use of public transportation, while MBPP works on several plans to ease traffic in the commercial and heritage areas.

Rajendran, who had helped Penang design a one-way traffic system some 20 years ago, said that all cities in the world are struggling with road congestion.

“We cannot resolve them at one go but we can mitigate it pending the completion of new infrastructure which can better disperse the traffic flow,” he said. – The Vibes, April 1, 2023