KANGAR: The Kangar Municipal Council aims to rebrand itself as the Perlis Municipal Council (MPPs) starting next year.
Council president Affendi Rajini Kanth said the move aligns with the council's authority, which extends beyond Kangar, covering Arau and Padang Besar in Perlis.
He said the rebranding initiative is part of the council's effort to position Perlis as a 'Smart City', focusing not only on Kangar but on the entire state.
"We will propose this rebranding effort to the state government for approval. Based on my discussions with the State Assembly speaker and members of the State Executive Council, they agree with the initiative since Perlis has only one local authority managing municipal affairs.
"We will go beyond just rebranding. We aim to enhance the quality of our services. We want the rebranding to reflect a shift in service standards, ensuring that our performance matches the new name.
"Given that we are the sole municipal authority in the state, starting next year, we will expand our services to cover 380 villages across Perlis.
"So far, we have reached 26 villages, and our target is to complete visits to all the villages in our database by the end of next year," he told reporters at a hi-tea event in conjunction with his first 100 days in office as the council's president.
Affendi said improving waste management is a top priority for the council, adding that starting next year, immediate fines will be issued to individuals caught littering.
"As we work towards becoming a 'Smart City', we are also seeking solutions to address littering by pedestrians. We have established a 'task force' in collaboration with the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation (SWCorp).
"Plain-clothes enforcement officers equipped with identification cards will be stationed at specific locations to monitor littering activities.
"From January to March next year, we will focus on public education about cleanliness. After that, offenders will face immediate fines ranging from RM10 to RM50 if they are caught littering," he said.