IN my previous column, I gave examples of how the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) deals with enquiries by giving only verbal instructions. The fact is, there are rules and regulations for everything that falls under the council’s purview. These rules are, however, not made public, and are sometimes kept from councillors as well. The trouble it causes […]
councillors
Why should we care what MBPJ does?
Ampersand by KW Mak
MOST ratepayers are unlikely to know this. But according to the Local Government Act, if a local council incurs a debt it cannot pay, ratepayers can be compelled to pay up instead. Section 45 of the Local Government Act states that should the local council default in payment of a loan for three months, the […]
Consult civil society on councillor appointments
By Jeffrey PhangTHE Coalition of Good Governance (CGG) congratulates the Selangor government for maintaining the 25% civil society quota in the appointment of local councillors. However, we are concerned that there may be a repeat of last year’s incident where many non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and professional councillors were left off the list. They were only confirmed much […]
Sabotaging public interest
By KW MakTHE local council often faces objections and sometimes outright hostility from the people when it needs to enforce the law. Protests by interested parties against enforcement measures, like the removal of illegal barricades, are the norm. In this exciting episode of Ampersand, I shall cover other issues that also face protests from interested parties. Three […]
No action on illegal structures
By KW Mak(Pic by cjung / sxc.hu) THE issue of whether barricades on residential roads should be allowed has been simmering for some time. By taking no action, the authorities seem to be encouraging the problem. These barricades are illegal by law, and the residents who put up these barriers are cognizant of this. But these residents […]
Ratepayers as beggars
By KW MakNot doing wonders for property value(© Robyn Gallagher / Flickr) IN a previous column, a reader requested for help to remove rubbish in Section 5, Petaling Jaya. The rubbish had not been removed for some time. Such requests are not isolated. Other complaints are about pot holes or illegally parked cars outside commercial areas like […]
The financial disadvantage of being councillor
By KW MakI AM a politician in the public’s eyes. Along with that recognition is the belief that I am flushed with cash, simply because my position allows me access to multitudes of government projects. Being supposedly cash rich, I am also expected to donate handsomely to needy people. To finance these handsome donations, I am expected […]
Keep election promises, Suaram tells Guan Eng
By Zedeck SiewLim Guan Eng (Ballot box image by Miguel Angel Salinas / Dreamstime) PETALING JAYA, 9 June 2009: Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng needs to make local council elections a priority as promised by his elections manifesto, Suaram Penang said today. “The process in which the Penang state government appoints its local councillors now is […]
KJ: PR a “coalition of convenience”
By Gan Pei LingPETALING JAYA, 5 June 2009: Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin has called Pakatan Rakyat (PR) “a coalition of convenience” that is not yet ready to lead the country. In a posting on his blog today titled Who’s the Boss?, Khairy cited as proof yesterday’s incident where eight out of nine Seberang Perai councillors from Parti […]
MBPJ keeps mum on Section 19 project
By Zedeck SiewA dark cloud looms over Section 19 in Petaling Jaya (Google Maps) PETALING JAYA, 5 June 2009: The Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya (MBPJ) has failed to disclose documents of public interest relating to a development project in Section 19, Petaling Jaya, even after residents’ repeated requests. “First they told us the documents were classified. Now […]
