Date Published:
July 23, 2017, 3:27 p.m.
The Seberang Perai Municipal Council is the local authority which administers Seberang Perai, the mainland halve of the State of Penang. This agency is under the purview of the Penang state government.
Established in 1976, Seberang Perai Municipal Council's jurisdiction includes several major towns, such as Butterworth, Bukit Mertajam, Batu Kawan and Nibong Tebal, covering a total area of 738 km2 (285 sq mi). The local council is responsible for urban planning, heritage preservation, public health, sanitation, waste management, traffic management, environmental protection, building control, social and economic development, and general maintenance of urban infrastructure.
The headquarters of the Seberang Perai Municipal Council is Bangunan MPSP at the Bandar Perda township, about 3.15 km (1.96 mi) west of Bukit Mertajam proper.
Seberang Perai covers an area of 738 sq. km, larger than Singapore, with a population of 897,600 inhabitants mostly concentrated in the coastal and urban areas. The Municipal Council of Seberang Perai or Majlis Perbandaran Seberang Perai (MPSP) is responsible for urban planning, licensing and control, town beautification, health services, cleanliness, controlling contagious disease, construction and regulating road system, managing traffic system, regulating drainage system, and providing and maintaining public amenities.
MPSP’s revenues comes from rates, licensing fees, various municipal charges and compounds. Tax revenues represented 72% of MPSP’s total revenues in 2015. MPSP is headed by a lady President, Dato’Maimunah Mohd Sharif, assisted by the Municipal Secretary and its management team consists of 15 Head of Departments.
The Municipal Council consists of a President, a Municipal Secretary and 24 councillors.The President's term lasts for two years, while each of the 24 councillors is appointed for a one year term by the Penang state government. Penang-based non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are allocated three of the 24 councillor posts to allow for the participation in policy-making by Penang's civil societies.
The current President of the Seberang Perai Municipal Council is Rozali Mohamud, who assumed office in 2017.[11] At the time of writing, the position of the Municipal Secretary is held by Rosnani Mahmod.
