HOUSING and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming wants local authorities in the country to focus on performance instead of being overly influenced by perception, which can be misleading due to fake information out there.
"The needs of our people are real. Climate change is here. This is real, so we must not buy into perception but be driven by performance."
Nga reminded local government officials that their performance counts in the eyes of ratepayers, including ensuring that every ringgit spent or disbursed brings the desired benefits.
He said this at the opening of the annual local government convention, which is held this year at the Bertam Resort in Kepala Batas.
The convention was officiated by Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, who praised the former's role in the ministry, awarding him a 4.9-star rating.
Nga said that the local government of today is facing various challenges, which are pale in comparison to the needs of the country in the 1970s.
Citing the latest data, Nga said the urbanisation rate is now 78 per cent compared to 1970 when it was just 25 per cent.
"It means the people's expectations are even higher. We are en route towards becoming a high income nation, so our services rendered must likewise be reflective of the needs of our customers."
Nga spoke of how the ministry has embraced reforms to ensure it stays relevant to the needs of the ratepayers.
Among the reforms which took place in the past four years are the digitalisation process, with councils offering counterless services with the migration to online payment services.
This has allowed the local government to record RM1.5 billion worth of revenue from electronic transactions.
There is also the incorporation of smart traffic lights to help mitigate the growing congestion level, and a faster approval rate, which has risen from 65 per cent last year in completion to 95 per cent as of August this year.
There is also the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to ease the bureaucratic process at various transaction levels of the respective councils.
Nga also revealed that 78.79 per cent of the local councils in the country have passed the approval mark in a score tabulated online. - September 12, 2026.
