THE Penang Island City Council (MBPP) has taken a proactive measure by doing its first teleconferencing meeting at Penang City Hall yesterday due to the rising cases of Covid-19.
The teleconference was joined by MBPP councillors and also heads of various departments under MBPP.
MBPP councillor Mohd Suhairi Arumugam Abdulah said the decision taken by MBPP mayor Datuk Yew Tung Seang to hold the meeting through teleconferencing was the right move to combat the spread of Covid-19.
“We discuss many issues yesterday such as licensing, land, health and many more.
“So, for me, teleconferencing is much more effective and convenient, especially in terms of time, expenses and travel distance if compared with the conventional way of meeting.
“This is also in line with MBPP’s efforts to reduce the spread of Covid-19 by limiting ourselves from attended any mass gatherings.
“The teleconferencing also went very smoothly in terms of video and sound quality.
“So, this is really a good step taken by the MBPP mayor for the sake of our health and safety,” he said during a phone interview with Buletin Mutiara today.
Another MBPP councillor Muhamad Khairul Mohd Ali said the teleconferencing was a step to help MBPP staff members to work more remotely during the outbreak.
“As we know, teleconferencing is used widely by many countries as well.
“Thus, organisations that develop the culture and tools to enable remote work will be in a better position to support their employees in the midst of health concerns. This is exactly what MBPP is trying to do.
“Through teleconferencing, the meetings are shorter and more oriented to the primary purpose of the meeting.
“Thus, it will give us more satisfaction for simple problem solving, information exchange, and procedural tasks,” Muhamad Khairul added.
He also expressed hopes that other government agencies and departments as well as private organisations would follow the same step as MBPP in reducing the risk of Covid-19 through teleconferencing.
Story by Riadz Akmal
Pix courtesy of Penang Island City Council