By: Aida Aziz
IPOH: Perak has several administrative areas with great potential to achieve city status like Ipoh, said Perak Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad.
However, Saarani said, the application for city status must meet the criteria and conditions set by the Ministry of Local Government Development (KPKT).
Taking the example of Manjung and Muallim, he said both areas indeed have the potential to achieve city status.
“Recognition as a city has criteria such as the number of residents, Manjung has already made efforts towards that (achieving the status).
“Of course when it gets recognition as a city, many facilities will come in.
“In addition to Manjung, we also see an example in the south which is Muallim under the Tanjung Malim District Council, now maybe that area is seen as not very developed because the population is low.
“But with the presence of workers’ families who will move from Shah Alam to Proton City, by 2027 more workers will move here and bring their spouses, of course, the number of residents will be large.
“With that, there will be a lot of school facilities, hospitals and so on, which will facilitate the establishment of a new city,” he said.
In the meantime, Saarani said with the influx of investment and the increase of industrial centres, more areas in Perak may achieve city status.
He spoke to reporters at a press conference commenting on reports that Manjung intends and is ready to achieve city status, thus becoming the second city in Perak after Ipoh.
The Chairman of the Manjung Municipal Council (MPM), Syamsul Hazeman Md. Salleh said that notification of the intention had been submitted to the state government at the end of last year.
According to him, Johor and Selangor are among the states that are active in making several administrative areas achieve city status while Pahang announced the target of making Bentong the second city after Kuantan.
Earlier, he launched the Perak Techno Trade Centre (PTTC) Building Preservation Program Using Smart Solar Street Lighting & Rooftop Solar Panels in Meru Raya last night.
