Kuala Lumpur’s new mayor, Maimunah Mohd Sharif, committed to elevating living standards of all stakeholders
Her confidence, experience, friendliness, and sincerity stood out in her maiden address to members of the media on her first day in office as Kuala Lumpur’s new mayor.
Looking resplendent in a yellow baju kurung, Datuk Seri Maimunah Mohd Sharif welcomed journalists who had been eagerly waiting for her at Bilik Putra, on the 29th floor at Menara DBKL 1 in Jalan Raja Laut.
It was apparent from the outset that Maimunah was eager to serve as mayor, and was also committed to improving the livelihoods of stakeholders from all walks of life in the city. She acknowledged that expectations of her were high.
She shared that she was the type who liked to ‘turun padang’ (go to the ground), to see the impact of initiatives and projects carried out by the organisations she is attached to.
“I travelled to 93 countries in my last posting at UN Habitat,” she said of her six-year stint as executive director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat).
“Now, I will travel within the 243km² under City Hall’s jurisdiction.”
Maimunah shared that her work and engagement style was based on the principle of 4Ps – public, private, people, partnership.
“The public is City Hall, private is the private sector – be it local or international stakeholders, people is the community, and the final ‘P’ is partnership,” she said.
“This is something I believed in when I served as president of the Seberang Prai Municipal Council, as mayor of the Penang Island City Council, and later, at the United Nations. I will also use the same principle in City Hall.”
She was asked if it would be business as usual with her at the helm of Kuala Lumpur City Hall, given that there have been many grouses against it, and if she would bring about changes in the way the council handled complaints.
“The challenges are the same. But I believe that those who complain also need to give us some solutions,” she said.
She added that she was a stickler for fast responses and actions, especially when it came to low-hanging fruits.
“I am a listener, I love to talk, and meet the people, and I have an open-door policy,” she said, adding that she was all about integrity and has a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption.
Maimunah also revealed that she was keen to work with youths, focus on the arts, heritage, and culture, and work closely with the media.
“I always say that a city without activity, is a city without a soul. I also want to build trust with the media, work together, and be a friend to the media,” she said.
“I believe in this African proverb that goes: If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together,” earning nods of approval from those in the room.
Maimunah had earlier said that it was a great honour and a privilege to be appointed the first female mayor of Kuala Lumpur.
“When I met Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim yesterday evening, he shared his ambitions with me, including the need to work collectively with all stakeholders to improve and upgrade the livelihoods of the citizens of Kuala Lumpur.
“We also need to uphold our global image, as Malaysia takes up the Asean chairmanship next year.”
“We must also ensure we protect the livelihoods and improve the quality of life, making the city more resilient ... we must make the city more sustainable.”
