Information channel on municipal services: a perspectives from local affairs / Zaherawati Zakaria and Kamarudin Ngah

Past studies on customer satisfaction in Malaysia highlight low awareness from the public in municipal services. The previous studies mainly address the lack of efforts and initiatives of the authorities in organizing effective participation programs in waste management, cleanliness, drainage and culverts affairs. The Public Complaints Bureau stepped up efforts to promptly deal with complaints received from the public. On average, 50 per cent of complaints received were on the failure or delays in attending or responding to the needs of customers effectively. By using the quantitative methods approach, this study attempts to examine the factors that influence the community in Sungai Petani. The extent of satisfaction level in municipal services, both from internal customers and external customers attempt to establish association between customer satisfaction and social characteristics such as feedback towards complaint and information channel as resident and customer. Based on the findings, in order to make customer satisfaction increase on municipal services, future strategies need to be done by focusing on making customer satisfaction exercise more satisfactory and people more satisfy and participativ

SUSTAINABLE URBAN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT THROUGH AGENDA 21

The much-talked about issues such as the rising of heavy crime cases, problems in solid waste management, air and water pollution as well as traffic congestion detering the quality of life among urban community members. Urgent and proactive measure is highly desireable in order to preserve and maintain the integral parts of urban’s higher quality of life. All parties should take part in ongoing efforts to achieve sustainable development through various means. Local Agenda 21 (LA21) serves as one of the efforts in achieveing the ultimate goal of sustainable development through better collaboration and cooperation among stakeholders including local government, non-governmental organisations and the community at large. The core principle of the LA21 program lies in the spirit of cooperation among community members, local authorities and the private sectors. This could be achieved through various activities including from the beginning such as through a comprehensive planning for the local area to achieve the sustainable development. Community members should be involved in brainstorming of the ideas and expressing their views so that authorities would be able to identify the real and arising issues in the community. Through this way a sustainable town and municipal planning could be developed and initiated. This paper discusses the importance of urbancommunity participation in achieving sustainable development as practicedthrough LA21 in Seberang Perai Municipal Council, Penang

Regional development policies practiced in the rural development approach in Malaysia: A case study in Seberang Perai

The characteristics and the needs of the developing countries based on agriculture is rely on one of the integrated approaches known as the Traditional Village Development Approach is stressed for the regional development in Malaysia. This scenario occurs due to the failure of the previous regional development policies, particularly the limited spillover effects, has encouraged a more integrated approach.The objective of this approach is to lessen the disproportionate gap between the urban and rural areas, and at the same time upgrade the villagers’ standard of living.This strategy includes agricultural improvement through ownership changes and small farm consolidation into plantations, the development of non-economic activities and the changes in settlement structure and the establishment of the growth centers.The findings of the study showed that there is still some space for action that needs to be taken in order to develop the standard of living of the rural population, particularly in identifying the priorities for the development and the overall development strategy.The most important thing is to ensure that the returns and a more optimum benefit are given to the population through a more comprehensive and collective participation

Sustainable eco-culture tourism in Royal Belum-Temenggor: emerging prospects and challenges for Orang Asli

First part of this paper provides an overview of the concept of sustainable eco-culture tourism (ECT) including the highlight of three main pillars of sustainable ECT namely; natural and cultural resources, local host community and tourist. The discussion also looks further into the main principles of sustainable ECT. Second part of the paper will explain the process undertaken in conducting a fieldwork and survey of local communities in two selected villages namely Kampung Semelor (Temenggor) and Kampung Sungai Tiang (Royal Belum) conducted in June 2014 to identify possible prospects and/or potentials of ECT project for sustainable development and conservation of biodiversity of Royal Belum-Temenggor Forest Complex (RBTFC). Initial findings indicate a positive response from local communities regarding ECT project especially on economic and social prospects. These include income generation potential, new jobs creation in tourism and tourism-related sectors, wider engagement in training programs and promoting local traditional culture and local ‘forest-water-based’ activities for tourism. Some challenges during ECT project also highlight some issues on poverty, unsolved conflict between people and wildlife and the contest for resources among members of a growing community. The paper concludes with brief outlook on the development ECT project in the rich mega biodiversity area of RBTFC

Identification of information variable toward sound decision making among local government councillors

Sound decision making is crucial in both public and private sectors because good decision able to solve problem and satisfy parties involved. As part of the government service provider, local government also expected to exercise sound decision making in their services to their community. Thus the information system plays s major role in providing good data to the decision maker. lnformation system helps to furnish local government officer and its community with proper information. Accurate information and needed when conditions become more uncertainty. This paper proposed s conceptual framework for information and system acceptance base on Delone and McLean information success model. Two variables are proposed to be studied: information quality and system quality. There variables are needed by decision maker at local government to come out with round decision making since the acceptance of information is very law. The objective of this study is to come out with some solution to "IT lag time" which refers to large gap between the adoption of new technologies such as information integration and information sharing and their acceptance and reutilization in organization

Decision-making model at local government level: a new proposed for Majlis Perbandaran Kuantan

The subject-matter of the decision-making process is far wider than the traditional coverage of the study of local government.Internal and external factors and the complexity of the processes at various levels are recognized as significant contributors to the process of policy-making. This study attempted to understand this process, based on the conceptual and theoretical framework, and the formulation of a set of decision-guidelines under the new proposed model by interviewing a group of Councillors from Kuantan Municipality Council.Specifically, it attempts to understand the role of Councillors in the local government system and factors influence them in making the right decision.The new factors that developed from this study would contribute to the formulation of a new framework of decision-making.The findings presented are derived from those meeting and support by input from other parties such as politicians, planners and academicians. The interpretation of Councillor’s respond to certain questions was descriptively analysed. One striking conclusion that can be derived from the findings is that Councillors have no clear guidelines in order to assist them making a right decision on the council’s matter.By using the new process that based on the 13 factors as decision-guidelines, they believed and agreed that will make their decisions fundamentally more accurate and focused. In future research, improvements that could be applied by Councillors in ensuring the current process of decision-making at the local government level more inclusive and effective by enhancing the role of Councillors and strengthening strategic partnerships by collaborating with other focus groups

Decision-Making Model at Local Government Level: A New Proposed for Majlis Perbandaran Kuantan

The subject-matter of the decision-making process is far wider than the traditional coverage of the study of local government. Internal and external factors and the complexity of the processes at various levels are recognized as significant contributors to the process of policy-making. This study attempted to understand this process, based on the conceptual and theoretical framework, and the formulation of a set of decision-guidelines under the new proposed model by interviewing a group of Councillors from Kuantan Municipality Council. Specifically, it attempts to understand the role of Councillors in the local government system and factors influence them in making the right decision. The new factors that developed from this study would contribute to the formulation of a new framework of decision-making. The findings presented are derived from those meeting and support by input from other parties such as politicians, planners and academicians. The interpretation of Councillor’s respond to certain questions was descriptively analysed. One striking conclusion that can be derived from the findings is that Councillors have no clear guidelines in order to assist them making a right decision on the council’s matter. By using the new process that based on the 13 factors as decision-guidelines, they believed and agreed that will make their decisions fundamentally more accurate and focused.  In future research, improvements that could be applied by councillors in ensuring the current process of decision-making at the local government level more inclusive and effective by enhancing the role of Councillors and strengthening strategic partnerships by collaborating with other focus groups. Keywords: Decision-making, Model, Local, Government, Councillors, Urban, Planning.

Framework considerations for a sustainable eco-culture tourism (ECT) development for Orang Asli of Royal Belum-Temenggor Forest Complex, Perak

This is the subsequent paper of “Sustainable Eco-Culture Tourism in Royal Belum-Temenggor Forest Complex, Perak: Emerging Prospects and Challenges for Orang Asli” which primary focus is to present and discuss the framework considerations for a sustainable eco-culture tourism (ECT) development for Orang Asli communities of Royal Belum-Temenggor Forest Complex (RBTFC) in Perak. Review of literature on key success factors of sustainable ECT and inputs from the survey of local stakeholders in RBTFC were used to formulate the sustainable ECT framework. The proposed framework consists of four major action areas namely (1) identification of the ‘local champion’, (2) establishment of local organisation suitable for ECT, (3) integration of ECT into local economy, and (4) delivering quality of ECT through promotion and marketing. The proposed framework could be considered as an initial roadmap for future works to realise sustainable ECT development in RBTFC

Identification of Information Variable toward Sound Decision Making among local Government Councillors

Sound decision making is crucial in both public and private sectors because good decision able to solve problem and satisfy parties involved. As part of the government service provider, local government also expected to exercise sound decision making in their services to their community. Thus the information system plays a major role in providing good data to the decision maker. Information system helps to furnish local government officer and its community with proper information. Accurate information most needed when conditions become more uncertainty. This paper proposed a conceptual framework for information and system acceptance base on Delone and McLean information success model. Two variables are proposed to be studied; information quality and system quality. These variables are needed by decision maker at local government to come out with sound decision making since the acceptance of information is very low. The objective of this study is to come out with some solution to IT lag time which refer to large gap between the adoption of new technologies such as information integration and information sharing and their acceptance and reutilization in organization

Openness Personality Trait on Local Government Information System Services: An Overview

This paper investigates the adaptation of one of the Big Five Personality traits namely Openness in local community acceptance toward local government information system. The data collected via survey based on Openness statement taken from Big Five Personality Inventory item. This is to gain idea regarding acceptance on information system such as information system services in local government agencies in Northern Malaysia that has been introduced to them. Questionnaires has been distributed to collect data and has been analyzed using statistical software. Analyses such as percentage and correlation are been executed to differentiates and tabulate the data to readable results. The findings of the study believe could give the idea to the local government or local authority in providing better services to their community