Are all Miri neighbourhoods benefiting equally from city management?

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City Management Benefits Not Equally Distributed Across Miri Neighbourhoods

While Miri has been recognised for its cleanliness and tourism appeal, the benefits of city management are not being felt uniformly across all residential areas. Many back lanes, commercial rear alleys, and residential hotspots continue to experience issues such as indiscriminate dumping, inconsistent rubbish collection, and poor upkeep, indicating a disparity in service delivery compared to more prominent tourist zones.
Uneven Maintenance in Residential and Commercial Areas

Kelvin Tan, speaking from his experience as a building draftsman, highlighted that while areas like Marina Park City and major tourist zones are generally well-maintained, numerous back lanes and residential areas face persistent problems. These include issues like indiscriminate dumping, inconsistent rubbish collection, and a general lack of upkeep, suggesting that these less visible areas do not receive the same level of attention. Tan specifically mentioned that the challenge lies in whether the positive impacts of city management are experienced equally by all residents, irrespective of their location.
Discrepancy Between Award Recognition and Resident Experience

The recent accolade of Miri as an Asean Clean Tourist City for a second consecutive term has led to questions about whether the award accurately reflects the daily experiences of residents. While the award signifies Miri's success in meeting technical requirements related to urban planning, tourism, environmental policies, and municipal systems, these achievements do not always translate into tangible improvements felt on the ground in all neighbourhoods. Residents have voiced concerns on social media and community forums about overflowing bins, clogged drains, and poorly maintained public spaces, which appear inconsistent with the image of an award-winning clean city.
Calls for Equitable Service Delivery and Accountability

Community activist Yussof Chai and resident Kelvin Tan both emphasised that all residents contribute through taxes and therefore deserve a clean and well-maintained living environment, regardless of whether their neighbourhood is a tourist hotspot. Tan stressed that cleanliness and consistent upkeep should not be confined to tourist areas. Chai further pointed out that a significant frustration among residents is the tendency for responsibility to be shifted between agencies when issues arise, with the public simply wanting problems solved. Both individuals advocate for greater accountability from contractors responsible for public services and a more responsive system for handling public feedback and complaints.

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Are all Miri neighbourhoods benefiting equally from city management?

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