My turn to attend full council meeting!

Hi everyone, this is my third blog post for internship in Miri City Council (MCC).

For intern in MCC, it is a traditions for intern to attend full council meeting.
The administrative approach taken by MCC is committee systems. Under this system, there are 8 standing committees, 2 sub-committees and 1 special committees such as below :

* Finance And General Purposes Committee
* Enforcement Committee
* Building And Town Planning Committee
* Public Health, Environment And City Services Committee
* Works And Traffic Committee
* Market, Hawker And Petty Traders Committee
* Community Services and Tourism Committee
* Park And Recreation Committee
* Building Sub-Committee
* Tender Board
* Miri City Resort Special Committee

Each of the standing committee will meeting once a month to discuss matter regarding to their responsibility area. The respective councilors and individual will have to present and make decision. These decision from standing committees will carry forward to full council meeting.

Full council meeting is held on the last Friday of the month. All councilor and department staff have to attend the meeting. The purpose of full council meeting is to confirm these decision come from each committee meeting. Mayor will in charge of the meeting.

For my department, only head of public relations section and secretary will have to attend the full council meeting. I feel so honour for being participate in the meeting.

This is the first time for me to attend such formal meeting. My supervisor even remind me to wear proper and formal attire.

Before the meeting, the secretary have to distribute the compiled minutes for all standing committee. The purpose is to let councilors to review the decisions. Besides, the secretary have to prepare the meeting agenda for full council meeting and distribute it before the meeting start.
I was helping her to distribute these documents and some councilor start asking who am i. Some of them even talk to me and I found that their impressions towards Curtin is very good!

During the meeting, Mayor introduce me as the intern attach to Public Relations Sections. I feel so embarrass when Mayor called my name and I don't know what to do. Then, my supervisor gives me a hint to stand up and greet everyone.

September's full council meeting also includes a small award ceremony to excellent parking warden. Media of local newspaper are invited to the full council meeting and take photos of the ceremony. Mayor give away the awards to 11 excellent parking warden to reward their performance for the year.

Mayor giving the awards to the parking attendant.

Group photo of mayor, councilors and parking attendants.

Media will record any confirmed decision to release in the press. I was sitting next to them to observe the meeting. The meeting run around one and the half hours. After that, refreshment will be provide in another rooms. Media and councilor are gather there and chatting to each other after the meeting.

Now is close to the end of the semester, good luck to everyone for their assignment and coming exam. Thanks for reading my blog :)

Cheers,
Jie Hui