New councillors out to make a mark

SEVERAL new and old faces were spotted at the councillors’ swearing-in ceremony of Penang Island Municipal Council on Jan 8.
Buletin Mutiara’s Chan Lilian zoomed in on newly-appointed councillors Syerleena Abdul Rashid, 34, and Mohamed Yusoff Mohamed Noor, 50.

Mohamad Yusoff was formerly a councillor but had taken a break for a year.

Now, back as a non-governmental organisation representative, he shared with Buletin how he looks forward to focus on the welfare of the people.

“I hope to play the role of check and balance in the council as I am very vocal. My aim is to improve the welfare of the people and ensure that problems of the rakyat are brought to the council’s attention and action.”

Syerleena looks forward to serve the community and hope her presence will encourage more women to take on leadership roles.
“This is my first term and I still have a lot of learning to do. My background in tourism development and planning studies will definitely come in handy,” she said.

“I want to make Penang a safer place to live in. Ensuring public safety, especially women and children, is also an important factor often highlighted in tourism.
“With Penang being a popular tourist destination, we need to maintain that reputation. It can only be beneficial for everyone at the end of the day.”