BUKIT MERTAJAM, July 2 — The Penang government intends to apply to the federal government to upgrade the Seberang Perai Municipal Council (MPSP) to a city council.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the state government had earlier wanted to apply for MPSP to be upgraded together with the Penang Municipal Council (MPPP) as city councils.
However, he said, due to the federal government policy of limiting one city to a state, the state government only submitted an application for city status for MPPP and it obtained the status in 2015.
“Since five, six years ago there was indeed such a restriction. Because of this restriction, we only applied for MPPP which ultimately obtained city status in 2015. MPSP had met the criteria for a city since 2008, but due to the policy we did not apply.
“In view of the desire to see if the new federal government will revise the restriction, our officers will follow up with the ministry to determine the current situation,” he told reporters after the swearing in of 24 councillors, including 11 new ones, for the July 2018 to December 2019 session at the MPSP Building, Bandar Perda, here today. — Bernama
