IPOH: The city here can be a happier place to live in when various improvements are carried out, say several NGOs here.
They said a good city to live in would be one that was clean with well-maintained infrastructure and proper garbage collection, among others.
They added that with more job opportunities on offer in Ipoh, the city could be a better and happier place to live in.
The NGOs were commenting on Ipoh City Council mayor Datuk Rumaizi Baharin’s statement that a study would be conducted to make Ipoh a happier city.
Ipoh City Watch president Dr Richard Ng said despite Ipoh being a tourist magnet due its good food and places of interest, the city failed to bring benefits to its residents.
He said residents here don’t like going out as they had to contend with the constant traffic congestion and lack of parking spaces.
These were some of the problems that made it difficult for Ipoh to attract foreign investors, he added.
Ng also said job seekers prefer to work in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur or Penang, where the salary was much higher.
“The drainage system in Ipoh has not been upgraded for the last 50 years, resulting in frequent flash floods, roads are poorly maintained, and potholes can be seen in every corner of the city.
“Residents who have made complaints through the online system on dengue cases and clogged drains claimed that no action was taken nor did they receive feedback from the authorities,” he added.
Rumaizi recently said that a consultant from Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman would be given six months to find out how to improve things in Ipoh.
He was responding to the Malaysia’s Happiest City Awards 2022 event that was held in Putrajaya last month in conjunction with World Happiness Day.
The top 10 areas are Kluang, Petaling Jaya, Manjung, Gua Musang, Klang, Kulai, Krai, Kuantan, Rompin and Alor Gajah.
AJ Kinta Perak Community Welfare Association president Roslan Ali said he believed that for Ipoh to be a happier place, local authorities must ensure that roads and public areas were well maintained.
“Rubbish collection must also be done according to schedule, public toilets always kept clean and enforcement teams must check on the cleanliness of eateries.
“More car parks should be built to prevent illegal parking problems.
“The mayor should also plant more trees in the city, and most importantly, get rid of parking touts in the city centre,” he said.
