KOTA KINABALU: Claims of potholes supposedly big enough to take in a lorry and other complaints about the Sandakan municipal council's services became the focus of discussion at the Sabah state assembly meeting here Thursday (March 24).

       Assemblymen from the east coast town complained about ratepayers' unhappiness with the services involving garbage collection, uncut grass and road maintenance by the council, which is trying to gain city status for Sandakan.

       The assemblymen, Datuk Frankie Poon (DAP-Tanjung Papat), George Hiew (Warisan-Karamunting) and Calvin Chong (IND-Elopura), also said the appointed councillors were not known to the local folk.

       They accused the councillors of not doing their jobs, with no one seeming to know who was in charge of which area, and where the public could channel their complaints.

       State Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun, who seemed surprised by the claims, said he would look into the matter.

       "I will bring it up with the Sandakan council today," he said, adding that the revelations by the assemblymen would also make the councillors aware that they had a duty to serve the ratepayers.

       "What was revealed today will be widely publicised, I am confident. If the Sandakan council does not act, I do not know (what to say).

       "As for the potholes, I also don't know if it is under the council or the Public Works Department. I will ask our (state) Works Minister Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin to go and look at the holes," he said.

       Masidi said councillors were appointed at the recommendation of local leaders.

       "We have guidelines for the selection of councillors and of course they must be able to serve the people, that's what is important," he said, adding that councillors should serve the community without political bias.