KUALA LUMPUR: Although the Mayor of Kuala Lumpur has some degree of autonomy in managing the capital, all actions taken must still be in line with the roadmap set by the Federal Territories Department.
Its director-general Datuk Seri Rosida Jaafar said the department was responsible for being the trigger and catalyst for the mechanism of innovative cooperation between local authorities in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan.
"This is to create a synergy of resources and manpower as well as communities in all three federal territories to achieve the government's wider aspirations in terms of national economic and social development," she said in her speech during the handing over of duties of the Kuala Lumpur Mayor, here, today.
Earlier, Rosida and the Prime Minister's political secretary Azman Abidin witnessed the handing over of duties between former Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Seri Mahadi Che Ngah and his successor Datuk Kamarulzaman Mat Salleh.
Rosida also expressed hope and confidence that Kamarulzaman would continue implementing the previous initiatives to ensure the sustainability and wellbeing of the capital was maintained and improved.
"Surely, his appointment as the Kuala Lumpur Mayor reflects the recognition of the capability of DBKL (Kuala Lumpur City Hall) employees to continue to improve the competitiveness of the city of Kuala Lumpur.
"This huge challenge can surely be shouldered through closer cooperation in the big DBKL family," she said.
She also thanked Mahadi for his excellent service as the 13th Mayor of Kuala Lumpur.
"His efforts towards the creation of a low-carbon city by 2030 and a carbon-free city by 2050 have driven Kuala Lumpur towards becoming a world-class city that is orientated towards the goal of sustainable development. Surely, all these initiatives could not have been implemented without the commitment, determination and integrity that he showed," she said.
On April 13, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali announced the appointment of Kamarulzaman as the new Kuala Lumpur Mayor effective from today (April 17) to Aug 14, 2024.
Kamarulzaman, 59, the former executive director (Project Management) of DBKL, who graduated with a bachelor's degree in Surveying (Property Management) from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, began his career at DBKL in 1991 and has 32 years of experience in city management and Kuala Lumpur City planning policies. - Bernama