We present the New Mayor of Ipoh. So, tell us your vision for Ipoh, Mr Mayor…

Ahmad Suaidi Abdul Rahim 11th mayor of Ipoh effective July 1.

 The PH Government which preached transparency and openness has certainly been very tight-lipped about the mayorship of Ipoh.

They were certainly not open about the circumstances surrounding the previous mayor – his absence from duty and the circumstances surrounding his position. Politicians should learn that when they are not open it only encourages speculation. Often that is worse than the truth.

Then there is talk about someone who speaks Japanese – as if that has anything to do with the job, unless we are going to do a lot of business with Japan. I would have thought a fluent English and/or Mandarin speaker would have been more useful.

Apparently it was alleged that this candidate has either decided not to accept the job or because they found skeletons in his cupboard. Whatever the reason, we are now going to get someone else.

Tell us your vision for Ipoh

Selamat Datang Dato’ Ahmad Suaidi bin Abdul Rahim the new mayor of Ipoh.  Ipoh welcomes you.

Other than the fact that you were deputy director general of Kementerian Pembagunan and Penerangan little is known of you.

Since your political masters have not introduced you, will you introduce yourself? Where is your home town or home state? We IpohMalees are funny that way – we are proud Ipohites and want someone from among us to be our mayor. A local boy is more likely to have greater pride in Ipoh than an outsider – who is just doing a job. Also as proud Perakians we would prefer someone from the Silver State.

And while I am at it, let’s be frank, we would rather have someone who is elected or failing that (since the PH Govt has reneged on their promise of Local Government Elections) someone who is not another pen pusher.

Where did you go to school and where did you finish your tertiary education? I hope you do not have the same Cambridge qualifications as our Deputy Foreign Minister.

What is most important is: What is your vision for Ipoh?

Ipoh is dirty

The last occupant of the post decided to make Ipoh the cleanest city in Malaysia and claims to have done so according to a vote by his peers in other cities. But we Ipohites know that fact and accolades are not the same thing. 

Ipoh is a dirty town.  Take a drive and see for yourself. Try the Bercham main road towards the Tanjong Rambutan end – rubbish is dumped by the roadside and remain there.

Who is the councillor in charge of that area – haul him up to your office and have a word with him.

Here is a list of what we would like you to do for Ipoh:

1. Ban the use of plastics within the city limits. If you cannot do that, extend the “no plastic bag” from one day to three or four. Stop vendors from selling drinks in plastic bags, styrofoam boxes and stop coffeeshops from using plastic straws.

Countries like Vanuatu and Kenya have banned one-use plastics altogether while all our government do is to complain to countries which send their waste plasticsto us when they should be dealing with the problem our own people cause.

So please do this and you will be half way to cleaning up Ipoh.

2. Lay down strict guidelines concerning developments.

We don’t want our hills to be vandalised – first by quarries and then by developers who build right smack against the hills. This is visual vandalism. We are not against development but it cannot be development at any cost.

3. Hold regular Town Hall Meetings so that we can give our feedback to you. We don’t see our councillors on a good day; I hope we can see you and talk with you.

I will leave it at three. There are more but no point scaring you off in your first week.

You will find Ipoh a great place to live in. The food is the best in the country; we do not have traffic jams like Penang and KL and the Klang Valley.

Ipoh has all the ingredients . . . it’s just waiting for someone to make Ipoh Great Again.

Perhaps you are the one. Good Luck.

Perak MB & the Ipoh mayor (R)