DS Anwar, it's time to revamp all the local councils and the Local Government Act

 

Damansara MP, YB Gobind Singh is aware of this issue, and yet after the response we received from MPS engineering head, Tuan Ir Hj Shaiful Nor Aidil B Mohd Jaya who posted this photo (above), he remained silent. 

This makes me wonder why after so many months since February this year, I highlighted this to his attention, was this a waste of my time? Yet, despite promises one after another, nothing was done to relocate the signboard. 

The issue: 

I had merely highlighted that a number of the signboards under MPS needed a fresh coat of paint so that we can cut down on the losses due to the rust. They are similar signboards in the entire municipality: 

 

MPS has no excuse not to repaint these roadsigns unless their intention is to let them rust and replace a totally new set costing another few hundred thousand or one or maybe even five million Ringgit at least.

The original signboard which was removed from this strategic position at the junction, was repainted and relocated here which is some 15 m from the junction: 

 

Council President, Tn Yazid/ Ir Shaiful, How do you expect people who are unfamiliar to the place to see the signboard?

And when I brought it up again in the chat group MPS & MBPJ, Ir Shaiful Nor Aidil Mohd Jaya merely posted this to show that work was done. 

This photograph along with the sequence of discussions were in the view of:

• Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shaari
• State Exco Ng Suee Lim 
• MP of Damansara Gobind Singh Deo (he was supposed to get his local councillor to solve the problem since February this year)
• Unfortunately, Pua Pei Ling (PKR Bukit Lanjan) disappeared from the chat group after she was added in. Her behaviour is no difference to Elizabeth Wong who also disappeared and evaded her constituents on the ground. 
• MPS president Tuan Yazid Sairi (click his name, must read the article), who preferred not to receive any complaints via email.
  
  Also, Members of the Opposition 
• Datuk Seri Ti Lian Ker
  
• Datuk Seri Dominique Lau 

(Reason for adding the Opposition: it's part of democracy. If PH in Selangor fails to deliver the services to the people, we expect the Opposition to bring the issues up on behalf of the people).

Lain diminta, lain dibuat. Each time I asked the engineering department head and MPS President to relocate the signboard back to the more original position, which is more strategic, they would tell me that they either do not have the budget or they are in the process of upgrading Persiaran KIP2. This has happened one year after another. I have been hearing this 'promise' since the local councillor, Zulnizam's time yet nothing has been done! 

Campaign Kickstarted 

Having dealt with DBKL, MPS, MPAJ and MBPJ as a part time journalist for the past three decades, I know all four including MBPJ (see the blog by a journalist) were hopeless. 

During Tan Sri Kamaruzaman's time, I had direct access to the personal assistant of the mayor. It was easy to solve people's problems on the ground with just a couple of SMS; but thereafter, I had relocated myself and did not bother to follow up on DBKL issues. 

But MPS for all these years have never improved since its first president, Kasjoo Kadis' era nearly 30 years ago. Complaints using Selangor's STAR or email to Aduan are often responded with a standard answer. Thereafter, complaints are not solved, but cases closed. 

To prove my point, I started writing a series of letters to ADUAN, and gradually, moved up the hierarchy to the Head of Department, then President, and I copied the local councillor, Ng Wei Keong (later Calvin Cheong) state assemblyman Elizabeth Wong and member of parliament, Tony Pua. 

Subsequently, I began to bring it to the next level, Menteri Besar Amirudin himself and State exco in charge of local government, Ng Sze Han. When there was flash flood at one of the row of houses, I even took the trouble to inform both Amir and Ng about it. I also forwarded the same photographs and videos showing people's suffering. To keep the record, I posted it on my blog as well. I had to show my Whatsapp communication with them that they had been informed of the problem back then. A similar problem happened again this past week when the rain was pouring heavily.

I even offered my suggestions where to look for the problem. 

Click image to read the blogpost

Utterly Shocked

This is why I was shocked to discover that PH in Selangor was oblivious to complaints on the ground. Till today, reminder after reminder has been sent to the newly elected local MP, YB Gobind Singh, and although things move by the inches, I am still grateful things are moving. For example, this restaurant owner who complained his problem had finally gotten his drain properly covered. 

At least, we brought a smile to his face. 

 

Need for Total Overhaul

YAB Datuk Seri Anwar, now is time to put the foot down on reforming the local government and the Local Government Act. 

Whether it is the Madani government or any other governments in the future, the things that impact our lives the most is the way how the third tier of government delivers its services. If they fail, it will reflect badly on both the state and federal government. 

Imagine a local council that has failed to do its job properly - illegal dumps everywhere, car wash outlets springing up at every nook and corner, hawkers mushrooming and competing with the properly licensed shopowners, potholes, unlit streetlights, no streetlights, road signages at the wrong locations, smelly solid waste management centres, flash floods, clogged drains, traffic congestion caused by interval circulation (one-way streets) instead of dispersal of the heavy traffic, broken down traffic lights and other issues. 

And complaints to its people just went to deaf ears. They are good at calling for meetings to show on paper that they have done their job and met up with the complainant. Thereafter, no one knows what they write in the conclusion of the reports, but problems are still not solved.

The Housing and Local Government has been renamed to Local Government Development ministry but calls to revamp the local government has fallen on deaf ears. The Sultan of Johor, HRH Sultan Ibrahim had a word with the minister concerned about the living condition of people in Johor. This is all due to the failure of the local government. 

Just solving the problem on the surface will not turn this country into a First World country. We will forever be stuck in the Third World mindset if things remain status quo. The failure of the Ministry of Local Government Development would eventually become the failure of the Madani government. And even if a new government were to be formed, they too will not make much an impact until the local government issues are addressed. 

And the tendency of some ringleaders is to sabotage the government of the day. It is time to shift people around further away from home and monitor their performance closely. If they continue to play havoc or show their lackadaisical attitude, it is time to remove them, and allow others to be promoted from within the ranks and files. 

If I may say someone like Johor Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi would do a great job at that, as he is a no-nonsense kind of person. But I doubt if Tuanku Sultan Ibrahim would second him to Selangor. Alternatively, you have Dato' Romli who will probably be on the ground more often than the existing MB. To deal with the local councils, you need someone like the Iron Lady, Rafidah Aziz. 

Only then, can we see results that we, including Tuanku Sultan Sharafuddin Abdul Aziz Shah, would like to see -- a cleaner Selangor, where the rakyat can enjoy better public amenities and not second or third grade services due to the still rampant corruption in the state. Efforts must be made to clean up Selangor's corruption level to set a good example for the rest of the country. If we cannot clean up Selangor, how can we clean up Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah? 

Therefore, DS need to get the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), National Financial Crime Centre (NFCC) and the Auditor General's office to monitor closely the problematic local councils in Selangor and nationwide. 

It is time to do the necessary and more drastic if we want to see a better Malaysia! Thank you, YAB Datuk Seri Anwar, YAB Datuk Seri Zahid and YAB Datuk Seri Fadillah. It's time to make Selangor great again!

(note: this is a blogpost. Do not expect me to polish up the English).