By V. Sivaji
Taking over the reins of the Ipoh City Council right smack in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic last year, Dato Rumaizi Baharin has been a “steady hand” to help the needy and underprivileged in the city.
He has been a “man on a mission” to focus his energy and time on providing food and aid to the hungry.
They worked with strategic partners like Ipoh-based corporates like Econsave, Kuala Lumpur Kepong (KLK), Bonanza Venture Holdings (BVH) and Baboba Tea Sdn Bhd to feed and assist thousands in the city.
Kudos to these corporations who have played their role in helping the affected community.
Under Dato Rumaizi’s leadership, Ipoh City Council has been a shining example of what a local council can do to help and uplift the lives of the citizens.
“Most of the time, these people are not even registered with the State Welfare Department or the Majlis Agama to receive aid or financial assistance.
“The reason being, they have become unemployed due to the pandemic and lost all sources of income quite rapidly.
“Many had lost their jobs in places like Penang or Singapore and returned home here in Ipoh to stay with their parents or friends,” said Dato Rumaizi to Ipoh Hyperlocal when met at his office recently.
He also added that they have had examples where a family did not have a proper roof over their heads. And in another case, a family was living out of their care with their children.
Ipoh City Council had set aside a whopping RM1 million to help those affected irrespective of race or religion.
“These are unprecedented times where the whole world is going through some tough times.
“Our hope was to take care of the basic human needs in terms of food and shelter.
“As for those without homes, we are currently renovating five apartments at the Waller Court flats to house them temporarily. In the meantime we will work with our corporate partners for a long term solution,” said Dato Rumaizi.
As the country moves into the recovery phase and many sectors reopening, the Ipoh City Council is also mindful of the needs of its residents.
“Recently, we had some issues with rubbish collection as the contractor’s workers were down with Covid-19. We quickly overcame the matter by employing locals to do the necessary collection and also find the contractor for breach of agreement,” he added.
In the meantime, he hopes to bring back the glory days of the city which is fondly known as “the town that tin built”.
This initiative is in terms of the economy, well-being and welfare of the residents, environment and overall socio- economy of the community.
“Our work is still not done yet, we will continue to help those in dire situations and help them regain their lives,” he added.
On a more personal note, Ipoh Hyperlocal had a chance to ask the mayor about his tips and secrets of keeping fit despite his busy schedule.
He adds that he does brisk walking and jogging daily although in his school days he was active in athletics and football.
“I also follow English Premier League (EPL) teams whenever time permits,” he added in ending the interview.
