COVID-19 delays Kota Bharu's city status plan

KOTA BHARU: The COVID-19 pandemic has forced Kelantan to review its plan to obtain full city status for the Kota Bharu Municipal Council-Islamic City (MPKB-BRI) in 2023, said Local Government, Housing and Health Committee chairman Dr Izani Husin.

He said the pandemic had set the local council back by two years because many things planned for 2020 and 2021 could not be properly implemented.

"We know we could not focus well after COVID-19 emerged in the country and led to the enforcement of the Movement Control Order (MCO)," he told reporters after the swearing in of 24 council members of MPKB-BRI here today.

However, he said the state government would go full steam ahead this year to realise its objective of gaining full city status for MPKB-BRI.

This included undertaking a big-scale beautification programme called "KelantanKu Bersih" to spruce up the state's beaches and other tourist attractions, he said.

"The beautification programme will also cover hilly areas with waterfalls, so that the people can see our seriousness to make Kelantan a clean and beautiful state," he said.

Dr Izani said to gain full city status, Kota Bharu also needs to generate an annual revenue of at least RM100 million and have a population of 200,000.

According to him, MPKB-BRI's annual revenue is now about RM70 million.

"Several measures to boost income in collaboration with various parties will also be discussed," he said.

-- BERNAMA