Saturday, September 27, 2008

Councillor proposes quick response team

By Oh Ing Yeen at the MBPJ full board meeting
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2008/9/27/central/2131183&sec=central

A CITY councillor has proposed the setting up of a quick response team to handle minor grouses in the city.

According to Michael Soon, nearly 80% of the calls the councillors received are small complaints regarding potholes, public toilets, drains and the trimming of trees.

“Councillors should not be the first contact when it comes to such minor issues,” he said.

Soon said this during the Sep­tember full board meeting of the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ).

“Thus, we should form a quick response team consisting of plumbers and electricians to resolve such matters,” Soon said.







Roslan: ‘The committee will study and scrutinise some procedures and regulations’

“We need to upgrade the computer system and handle walk-ins, telephone calls and e-mails efficiently,” he said.

Soon also said that contracts under RM20,000 should not be sub-contracted.

“The one at the end of the line will only be left with bones. If the job is badly done, it will reflect badly on the MBPJ, too. All contractors who often do so should be blacklisted,” he said.

Petaling Jaya mayor Datuk Mohamad Roslan Sakiman, meanwhile, announced at the meeting that a circular will be issued to warn contractors against harassing the local councillors when lobbying for contracts.

Several city councillors had complained that they have received numerous calls from certain contractors lobbying for jobs.

Roslan also announced that an audit and administration committee has been set up to improve the MBPJ services.

“The committee will study and scrutinise some procedures and regulations. All department heads are required to cooperate in this effort for a smooth process and to widen the administrative scope,” he said.

Roslan said councillors should organise dialogue sessions with residents in their respective zones to discuss issues in the area to obtain feedback for the preparation of the 2009 budget.

“With the participation of all stake holders in the MBPJ, Iam confident that the proposed budget will be more effective and relevant ,” he said.

Roslan told the councillors to organise their respective residents committees in their zone to get to know the residents’ problems faster.

“The residents committees will also create interaction between councillors and their respective communities as well as advocate transparency under our governance,” he said.

“I hope this will be carried out soon. All councillors are required to submit reports on this matter to be studied by the state local government committee,” Roslan said.

PJ Selatan MP Hee Loy Sian, who was present as an observer, raised an issue which raised some eyebrows. He claimed that some residents had complained about prostitution in some hotel spas in the city.

Meanwhile, the mayor announced that the MBPJ will hold a Hari Raya open house on Oct 10 from 3pm to 6pm at the PJ stadium. He extended an invitation to the public.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Assessment cut for highrise units next year

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/9/17/central/2035620&sec=central
By TAN KARR WEI


CONDOMINIUMS and highrise unit owners in Petaling Jaya will see a reduction in assessment rates next year.

Mayor Datuk Mohamad Roslan Sakiman announced that in the draft Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) 2009 budget, assessment rates for flats, apartments and condominiums would be reduced from 8% to 6% (except those in Sri Damansara, Mayang Mas and Megah Mas, which remains at 5%).

Rates for service apartments would be reduced from 8.8% to 6.6%.



Absorbed: Representatives from residents associations and
Rukun Tetangga at the MBPJ 2009 Budget briefing.


Assessment rates for low-cost flats will remain at 5% while assessment for other properties will not be increased.

About 60 representatives from residents associations (RA) and Rukun Tetangga (RT) attended a briefing on the 2009 budget at the MBPJ headquarters in Jalan Yong Shook Lin.

The income deficit would be offset by an estimated RM6.48mil from rental of billboard sites.

A representative from Section 8 RT said there should be funds allocated for activities carried out by RTs and RAs.

Taman Mayang RT chairman Chan Chow Wang said the RM5mil increase to RM52mil in allocation for Alam Flora services was not justified.

“The service provided is not satisfactory. I raised the issue five years ago about the garbage trucks. When the trash is compacted, dirty water leaks from the trucks and dirty our roads,” said Chan.

The RM52mil makes up more than 20% of MBPJ’s total expenditure.

Petaling Jaya Selangor Residents Association (APAC) chairman Liew Wei Beng was upset that the various representatives could not obtain a copy of the draft budget before they attended the meeting.

“We need time to go through the draft to analyse it instead of rushing through it during the briefing,” said Liew.

He also said the numbers for the 2008 budget was an estimation and the actual amount spent up so far was not given and so it was difficult to compare the numbers with the 2009 budget.

“How would we know if there’s a surplus or deficit in the 2008 budget?” asked Liew.

One of the objectives of the budget was to make PJ a knowledge city and RM3.495mil has been allocated for items like Internet connection, computer equipment rental, handheld equipment rental and computer maintenance.

However, one RA representative commented that since the handheld equipment were for enforcement officers and the computers for councillors, it did not contribute to that objective.

Bukit Gasing assemblyman Edward Lee said the presentation of the budget could be improved.

“The council’s accounts for the previous years should also be given so that we will know if the budget provided for those years were sufficient and the budget for 2009 should reflect that,” said Lee, who was formerly the pro tem chairman of the All Petaling Jaya Pro-Action Committee, as APAC was then known.

He also noted that the budget did not address another pressing problem in the city — flooding.

“Flooding is a big problem in PJ and nothing much has been done to alleviate it. It is disheartening to know that there is a decrease in funds for drainage system and drain maintenance,” said Lee.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Councillors on track

http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2008/9/13/central/1957037&sec=central
By JADE CHAN

Their most demanding task is dealing with day-to-day problems.

THE last few months have been hectic and even harrowing for the new councillors appointed to the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ).

They have been busy familiarising themselves with the local council set-up and operation, learning about its departments, the rules, regulations, procedures, attending committee meetings and getting to know the people in their assigned zones.

While some initially thought that their basic role was policy-making, they now realise that dealing with the day-to-day problems faced by the people is the most demanding aspect of their role as councillors.

They have to deal with almost non-stop complaints from the residents in their zones — from petty matters such as uncollected rubbish to more serious matters like floods.

And they have to explore and find ways to resolve these problems, seeking out the departments and relevant officials to get the problems dealt with.

Although all 24 councillors have been assigned zones to oversee, not all of them have their service centres set up yet.

According to MBPJ public relations officer Zainun Zakaria, the council’s engineering department is in the final stage of getting the service centres ready for operation.

“The locations of all 24 service centres have been identified and will hopefully be ready by the end of this month,” Zainun said.

StarMetro interviewed four of the councillors to find out what they have been doing since their appointments.


Tiew Way Keng, 27, lawyer
Zone: SS1, 3 and 9A
Contact: 016-338 1563 /
aduantwk@gmail.com
Service centre: Dewan Seri Setia, Jalan SS9A/1


Talk to me: Tiew standing outside Dewan Seri Setia where
her service centre will be located.

Tiew said she had discovered that she had to use different approaches when dealing with residents in her zones.

“The SS9A new village residents prefer meeting me personally and expect me to turn up at their meetings or attend to their complaints,” she said.

“The SS1 and SS3 residents, who comprise those in the middle to upper-income groups, want to know the status of their complaints. I usually keep them updated via e-mails.”
In the process, Tiew has learnt that she needs to be approachable, patient and able to communicate well. “I need to be careful whenever I speak in Chinese. Certain words or phrases can be misinterpreted by the residents and make them upset,” she said.

Tiew lists her priorities as educating the people to know that a councillor is not their only mean of seeking solution to their problems and streamlining the process at the MBPJ so that complainants can monitor the status of the complaint from the officer in charge, and fighting for good governance and zero corruption.

Tiew is forming a committee comprising local representatives from residents associations and NGOs who would be more familiar in handling the residents’ problems and needs.

“I plan to have a monthly healthcare programme for residents, because there are many senior citizens in my zone,” she said.

“I will also work closely with Kampung Tunku assemblyman Lau Weng San and PJ Utara MP Tony Pua to ensure that there is no duplicity or redundancy in our work,” Tiew said.

Dr Melasutra Md Dali, 44, lecturer
Zone: PJS 1 and 2
Contact: 03-7967 5698 / sutramela@yahoo.com
Service centre: Most likely at Pasar Taman Datuk Harun, PJS 2
Urban planner: Melasutra’s field of specialisation is in land use and recreational and social planning, and urban management.
Melasutra believes in empowering society and wants to educate and encourage the people in her zone to make them work with the MBPJ.
“I hope to create programmes that are continuous and beneficial to the community. I view my appointment as a positive opportunity and feel that my roles as a lecturer, councillor and NGO member (with Jamaah Islah Malaysia) are inter-related,” she said.

“The main issues are on safety, housing, youth and health,” Melasutra said of her zone that comprises residents from the low- to middle-income group.

Melasutra has formed a focus group comprising representatives from various groups in PJ Selatan to get in-depth information about their complaints, dissatisfactions and expectations.
“Because their voices weren’t heard as much before, I’m now working on systematically listing their issues. A lot has to be done, and can be done if channelled to the right department and people,” she said.

“The main issue in PJS 1 would be transit homes, while the problem in PJS 2 concerns the lack of open space and recreational facilities for children and youths,” Melasutra said.

“I hope to improve the residents’ living conditions and make their environment more livable. The place is so congested and there isn’t enough infrastructure and recreational outlets for the youngsters to put their energies into.”

Melasutra feels that a councillor should be committed to contributing to the council and city while having a good system to back up their work to ensure an efficient and transparent output.

Richard Yeoh, 55, civil society representative
Zone: Sections 11, 12 and 13
Contact: 012-216 0035/ 012-302 8801/ yeohrichard@gmail.com
Service centre: Yet to be confirmed
Bring it on: Yeoh wants to see better infrastructure for PJ residents.
According to Yeoh, the councillors have had their hands full in getting a hang of how the MBPJ functions and to clear the backlog of work during the five months when the councillors were not in place.
“The most common complaints I had to deal with pertain to traffic lights, inadequate streetlights and heavy traffic, especially when there’s an event going on,” he said.

“There are a number of major unresolved issues and we’re working to find solutions for these.”
Yeoh feels that PJ residents are generally quite understanding, although it could be a grace period for the councillors to get a grip of their duties and responsibilities.

Yeoh’s priority is to look into the PJ public transport system. “The MBPJ has received proposals to develop or redevelop existing properties belonging to the local council or state land, but it’s difficult to approve new development projects if the traffic and public transportation issues aren’t resolved,” he said.

“Although it is a federal government issue, the state and local government could look into a basic transport system for the people like a mini-bus or shuttle system,” Yeoh said.

“I want to push this matter to set a model for the country as it is key before any new developments are approved.”

Among the qualities he thinks a councillor should have are a desire to serve the community, a passion to improve the council’s services, interest in interacting with people and being resourceful when solving problems.

A. Thiruvenggadam, 48, insurance agency manager
Zone: Sections 8, 14 and 51A
Contact: 03-7960 0257/ 012-322 3851/ neelavino@yahoo.com
Service centre: Unit 16, Plaza Sunken, Menara MBPJ
Hard at work: Thiruvenggadam attending to some paperwork at his service centre.

Thiruvenggadam is one of the first MBPJ councillors to have a fully functional service centre, and has been busy attending to flood and abandoned house problems in Section 8, where he also resides.
“I’m trying to do whatever I can to help the urban poor in areas like Lembah Subang, Kota Damansara, PJS 1 and Desa Mentari,” he said.

“I’m proposing that the MBPJ push the federal government to set up a general hospital for the people in PJ and platforms under the MBPJ for poor people to start simple businesses and programmes to eradicate poverty,” Thiruvenggadam said.

“Meanwhile, I managed to get the MBPJ clinic in Section 8, which was previously meant for MBPJ employees only to also cater to the poor in PJ.”

Thiruvenggadam feels that PJ residents are generally cooperative and educated, but there is a delay in getting things done at the MBPJ due to a lack of integration among its departments.

“My priorities right now would be to attend to the major problems in my zone like drainage, playground, traffic and security by December,” he said.

“After that, I want to concentrate on the social development in my zone and make it a more conducive place to live in by increasing community facilities and having racial integration programmes.”

Thiruvenggadam believes that the MBPJ should evolve such that its mechanisms can handle complaints on its own and have a more multi-racial workforce.

He said a councillor needed to manage his time well and should have adequate knowledge about the country’s legal, political and socio-economic culture and other areas of plural co-existence of the people.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

MBPJ to promote free community bus service

http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2008/9/12/central/2007637&sec=central
By TAN KARR WEI


THE Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) will look into ways to increase ridership of its free community bus service.

The service was launched in August and has two buses that go around PJ Selatan and PJ Utara to service the elderly and the poor.

Each bus will ply their respective routes four times a day.



Poor response: Not many are making use of the free community
bus service provided by MBPJ.



Since it started, the response has been lukewarm, with only a handful of people making use of the service.

Bukit Gasing assemblyman Edward Lee took a ride on the bus to find out why.

“Many people are still not aware of the free bus service.




Inadequate info: There is a sign that says
"Free Service" in Bahasa Malaysia only on the bus.


“There is a sign on the bus stating it is a free service in Bahasa Malaysia and we will look into having this translated in Chinese and Tamil as well,” said Lee.

He said he also noticed that there were not enough stops along the routes.

Although the PJS bus goes through the district health centre in PJS 2C/5, Lee said the bus should stop at the Universiti Hospital as many people from the lower-income group seek treatment there.

An MBPJ officer said those who want to get on the bus could flag down the bus even if they were not at the designated bus stops. Most of the stops were near flats but do not have proper bus shelters.

Lee said it was more cost-efficient for the buses to go through routes with existing bus shelters so that MBPJ did not have to build new ones.

“We also need to discuss with the commercial bus operators to see if we can complement their routes,” said Lee.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

It's his funeral parlour now

http://www.mmail.com.my/It%27s_his_funeral_parlour_now.aspx
By Dawn Lee



Bukit Gasing Assemblyman Edward Lee has found himself dealing with a problem that is not of his own making. He inherited the problem of an illegal funeral parlour along Jalan Gasing.

The temple had been conducting funeral rites for members and for others in Petaling Jaya. However, they will cease to be a funeral parlour unless the funeral parlour at Jalan 229 is unable to meet demands.

"I understand the noble desire of the temple to provide the service to families of the deceased. However, we have arranged with the Petaling Jaya Chinese Cemetery Association (PCCA) to accept deceased members of the temple," said Lee.

"There are only two non-Christian funeral parlours in PJ — at Jalan 229 and Jalan Gasing, which has since moved to Old Klang Road."

Unfortunately, said Lee, the funeral parlours in Old Klang Road, Nirvana and Nilai are more expensive.

Under the circumstances, he said he will leave it to the community to decide if they want to totally evict the illegal funeral parlour.

"Or the bereaved families can keep the bodies at the hospital mortuary until such time the crematoriums at St Francis Xavier church or PJCCA can accommodate them," added Lee.

There are already complaints about the crematorium at Jalan 229. Residents of the apartment blocks behind it have reported that emissions were posing a health hazard.

The PJCCA facility has equipment which ensures zero emission.

A spot in Kota Damansara has been identified for such a facility. However, the residents in the area will have to be consulted first.

Meantime, Lee asked Jalan Gasing residents to be patient until an amicable solution is worked out.