(Borneo Post; March 8, 2005)

KUCHING: Members of the public can now book facilities at the Kuching City South Council (MBKS) and make payments through the Electronic Local Authority (ELA) system.

This is to help the public have access to the services of the council beyond the working hours, said MBKS mayor Chan Seng Khai.

“The ELA allows the public to reach, interact, transact and communicate with the relevant local authorities in a secure and friendly environment,” he said when launching the system implemented by the Sarawak Information Systems Sdn Bhd (SAINS) at MBKS yesterday.

Chan said with the E-Payment system now, members of the public could makes payments for their assessment bills and parking compounds.

“It is not necessary to wait for the hard copy bill to make a payment as the bill will be made available electronically through the system.”

He assured that all the transactions were authenticated, filed and routed according to the council to ensure secure, timely and traceable processing of business transactions.

Besides, members of the public could check the availability and book council facilities such as indoor stadium, community hall, Jubilee Ground, MBKS auditorium and Song Kheng Hai Ground through the resource booking service, he said.

“They can book the facilities anytime, anywhere at their convenience, and also check on the information such as date and time of availability, status of application and facility details,” he added.

Meanwhile, SAINS chief executive officer Teo Tien Hiong said ELA was in line with the government's efforts to promote information and communication Technology (ICT) in the State.

“The free service makes life easier for everyone, as the public no longer have to be caught in traffic congestions, long queues and lacks of parking lots.

“The public can have access to ELA 24 hours, seven days with just a click. All they have to do is to register themselves at the website and make payments using their bank accounts with Maybank, RHB and Bumiputera Commerce Bank (BCB),” he said. MBKS is the first city council in Kuching and second in Sarawak to launch the E-Payment system, after Sibu Municipal Council.

The public can access the MBKS E-Payment and E-Booking through http://www.mbks.gov.my or My One Stop Sarawak portal at http://www.MyOneStopSarawak.