140 rats killed at popular market

http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2008/11/18/central/2570743&sec=central
By YIP YOKE TENG

GUESS how many rats died of poison baits placed at the Section 17/21 wet market by the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) last month? 140.

And this 30-year-old open air market is regarded by many to have the most fresh seafood in the city.

Following reports of the alarming filthiness at the market in StarMetro during its Hygiene Campaign on Oct 20, Nov 10 and Nov 17, the traders are finally setting out to make the market cleaner.


Eyesore: Lee (right) lashing out at the culprits, believed to be
hawkers and restaurant operators, who have contributed to creating
this disgusting heap of garbage near the Section 17/21 wet market.

It is hoped that the rodent colony will soon be wiped out at the popular market.

The traders teamed up with 10 MBPJ workers in a gotong-royong on Monday to clean up the puddle-ridden streets and dug perishables out of the dirt-caked drains. The council provided two water tankers.

The stall operators had unanimously agreed to each fork out RM30 a month to hire an additional worker to clean the market every day, from 6am to 2pm. Now, there is only one worker doing the job on a part-time basis. Each trader pays between RM12 and RM15 for the service.
They will also form a committee to monitor the market’s cleanliness.


Working together: Traders of the Section 17/21 wet market cleaning the area.

“We have had regular cleaning-up sessions like this every month since about two years ago, but the problem still exists,” vegetable seller Low Guai Hwa said. Low blamed the unhealthy situation on a few selfish and inconsiderate traders who simply discard refuse into the drains.

Bukit Gasing assemblyman Edward Lee said the MBPJ would first resurface the roads riddled with potholes, while its engineering department would conduct a feasibility study into building a concrete floor.

“If it is suitable and not too expensive, the council will go ahead with the plan,” he said.
Meanwhile, a developer had expressed interest in building an indoor market in the neighbourhood. Lee said the proposal was being discussed and assessed.

He said the council would re-install a CCTV in the market to prevent traders and consumers from littering.

Lee: Landfills fully used

http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2008/11/11/central/2493404&sec=central
By JADE CHAN

IT IS important to address the problem of waste management in Petaling Jaya as all landfills are already fully used, according to Bukit Gasing assemblyman Edward Lee.

“We have only two options. One is to take the 3R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) campaign seriously. If we do not, we only have the other alternative, which is incineration (to burn our waste),” he said at a press conference to announce the PJ Recycling Expo 2008 and the Environment Education Carnival.

“We must educate the citizens of PJ that 3R is our last recourse. If we do not seriously recycle and reduce waste that is going to the landfills, we will have to burn them.

“Incineration is not the best method, but when we have no choice, we will have to do that and then we have the problems of pollution and so on.

“This is the message I want to relay to the people of PJ. Otherwise we cannot blame the local authority for resorting to incineration in the future,” said Lee.

Housing and Local Government Ministry National Solid Waste Management Department assistant director Dr Tan Beng Hoe their target was to achieve zero waste by the year 2020.
“Act 672, which is the Solid Waste Management and Environment Cleanliness 2007 Act, has already been gazetted and will be enforced from Jan 1 onwards.” Dr Tan said the Act was related to solid waste and public cleanliness, but declined to reveal further details.

The PJ Recycling Expo 2008 will be held today and tomorrow from 9am-5pm at the lobby area of Jaya 33 in Jalan Semangat, while the Environment Education Carnival will be held on Thursday from 8am-4pm at the MBPJ’s Banquet Hall.

The events are organised by the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) through the Environment Working Committee, Local Agenda 21 (LA21) PJ, in conjunction with National Recycling Day.
Selangor Tourism, Consumer Affairs and Environment Committee chairman Elizabeth Wong is scheduled to launch the expo that is aimed at increasing public awareness on environmental conservation, especially on the 3R programme and LA21, and providing a platform for 3R players to interact and display their achievements.

The expo’s programme includes an exhibition on recyclable materials and environmental conservation, demonstrations on how to make handicraft and garbage enzymes, performances by students using recyclable materials, environment-friendly audition competition, recycling activities and lucky draws.

Dell will be on hand to collect used computers and related equipment like printers and mouse, while the Taman Mayang Jaya Residents Association will set up a booth to sell second-hand books and collect recyclable materials.

MBPJ Town Planning Department assistant director and LA21 officer Lee Lih Shyan said the expo would also involve the Danida Solid Waste Management Component, which would educate the public on household waste composting.

The carnival, which is open to primary and secondary schools in PJ, is aimed at educating children and teenagers about environmental conservation through fun methods.

For more information, contact Lee at 03-7956 3544 ext 351/ 370/ 374 or lee@mbpj.gov.my, or Mahzura at 03-7956 2939 or mahzura@mbpj.gov.my.

Managing change responsibly

http://www.thenutgraph.com/managing-change-responsibly
By KW Mak


THE media can sometimes be full of public sentiment calling for change. But few people appreciate the amount of work that needs to be done to effect that change.

I believe in doing things by the book to ensure that reforms are not arbitrary, and whatever action taken is fair to all. To do so requires not only meetings with all stakeholders but also consultation with legal experts. This can be a lengthy process.

Very often however, the public tends to view such an approach as being too slow, and if not thrashed out in the media, lacking in transparency.

Not so simple
theSun editor R Nadeswaran quoted one of my previous articles on transparency and good corporate governance to lament about the seeming lack of transparency and action against an illegal funeral parlour along Jalan Gasing in Petaling Jaya.

Nadeswaran argues his case and then accuses the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) of not being willing to "throw the law books" at the people behind the parlour. However, closer scrutiny would show that the issue is not as simple as the facts that were presented. Indeed, the law books would have been thrown back at MBPJ if the council had acted solely on the facts presented by Nadeswaran.

I am not at liberty to divulge the information related to the case because there are some sensitivities involved, but MBPJ will ensure that the funeral parlour ceases its services by the end of December 2008, and that it moves to a more suitable location.

The Sivan Temple atop Bukit Gasing is another sensitive matter, with the large illegal structure situated on unstable ground and looming over a condominium below it.

The danger of the unsteady slope was confirmed in an independent survey by Kumpulan Ikram Sdn Bhd, which also made recommendations for rectification works. A stop-work order from MBPJ was issued in 2007. That order was ignored and sadly, because of political influence then, the council did not enforce the stop-work order.

When councillors A Thiruvenggadam and Derek Fernandez highlighted the danger again recently and arranged for MBPJ to issue a second stop-work order, MBPJ was attacked. The temple authorities accused MBPJ of being non-consultative.

Despite these assertions, MBPJ has all the paperwork to prove otherwise. The local council will also be working closely with the Selangor government to ensure that the temple does not collapse and jeopardise the lives of temple devotees and condominium residents living below.

In both the cases of the funeral parlour and the temple, Bukit Gasing state assemblyperson Edward Lee, from the DAP, took the initiative to meet with the committees of both religious organisations. With MBPJ officers in tow, Lee did the necessary fact-finding to understand the complexities of the cases instead of playing them out in public through the media.

Some quarters have accused Lee as being too lenient, but the local council needs to be absolutely sure that when it acts in the public's interest, all legal issues are taken into account. Thanks to the groundwork that was done, MBPJ can now take the necessary legal action against the committees of these organisations.

...

New to the job
Allowing sensitive issues to be played out in the media before a government body does the necessary homework can lead to unfavourable consequences.

Even I have made mistakes during my first four months as a councillor. In my quest to implement changes that I thought were necessary, I have instead placed MBPJ in a lawsuit, due to a legal technicality that was not observed. The mistake will end up costing taxpayers several thousand ringgit in legal fees, which I regret. As much as I would like to see change, I have learnt that I must be responsible for my actions.

Let's face the fact that many Pakatan Rakyat elected representatives are new to the job. They, too, need to learn how government works.

It is learnt that effort is under way to equip the elected representatives with legal and administrative knowledge of how government works. This would enable them to better address the issues faced by their constituents.

This would be infinitely better than watching politicians from both sides take pot shots at one another for their respective mistakes.

A lot of work is obviously needed for a local government system that needs fixing. That requires learning on all levels. Unfortunately that learning may take time before meaningful changes happen.


KW Mak is a DAP member and party-appointed MBPJ councillor. He apologises to his girlfriend, family and cats for not spending more time with them, and appreciates their support and understanding.

Section 17 Water Woes

By Joey

Following several complaints by sec 17 residents over frequent water cuts, YB Edward Lee and YB Hee Loy Sian, PJS Member of Parliament, organised a second meeting between SYABAS and PUSPEL officers and community leaders from the Rukun Tetangga and Residents Associations on 17 Oct 2008. The meeting was held at the Bukit Gasing Service Centre.

According to SYABAS, the frequent water cuts are due to the bursting of old asbestos-cement water pipes, especially in older sections under PJ Selatan. For example, some homes may experience low water pressure due to old internal piping, which could be clogged by rust and scales. When residents complain of low pressure, SYABAS would attempt to remedy the situation by increasing water pressure. This fluctuation in pressure, in turn, could lead to certain external pipes bursting or breaking.

As this is a long-standing issue with no overnight solution, SYABAS is in the midst of implementing a few temporary measures. These include the installation of valve pipes to isolate damaged sections. With these valves, in the event of a burst pipe, only the segment affected needs to be turned off, instead of the whole area.

There is also the ongoing "Program Penggantian Paip-Paip Perhubungan" (replacement of communication pipes programme), with 700 pipes replaced to date. In sec 17, 7.1 km of main pipes are in need of replacement at a cost of RM30-35 million. This budget is awaiting approval from the SYABAS HQ and state. YB Lee and YB Hee will be following up with SYABAS and the state government to expedite the process.

Residents can also play their part by replacing their old internal piping to help regulate water pressure.

Do call Syabas' customer service at 1800-88-5252 should you require immediate assistance.

Going after bad eggs in PJ market

http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/Streets/Monday/Stories/2362265/Article/
By Naveen Mathew Menon



Elizabeth Wong, Mohd Nadzri Osman (second right), Chan Chee Kong (left)
and enforcement personnel checking the prices of chicken at Petaling Jaya Old Town market.


PETALING JAYA: Some greedy traders who raised prices during the festive season have been made to pay.

They were caught when Elizabeth Wong, the state assemblyman for Bukit Lanjan and officers from the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs conducted a surprise check at at Petaling Jaya Old Town market.Among those caught was a trader who was slapped with a RM100 fine for overpricing eggs. She was selling Grade B eggs at 0.34 sen each when they were price-controlled at 0.31 sen each.

Another trader who was selling only "santan" and not coconut, was asked to also sell scraped coconut as it was a price-controlled item.

Traders who did not display their prices prominently were given stern warnings by the enforcement officers.They were told to display the prices of controlled goods clearly on red and pink boards. The red board is a sign telling consumers that the prices were of controlled goods.

The traders were also advised by the officers to display a bigger board with the prices of all the controlled goods. The board is available from the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs department."

Customers who have been fleeced or unhappy with the prices displayed can report to a toll-free hotline at 1800-886-800 or SMS to 32255."

Wong said she is satisfied with most of the traders as they were selling goods at appropriate prices.

Mohd Nadzri Osman, director of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs, who accompanied Wong during the inspection, said the checks on traders, which started on Sept 24, would continue till Oct 8. He said a similar enforcement exercise will be held between Oct 20 and Nov 3 in view of the Deepavali celebrations.

Also joining Wong for the surprise check on the PJ Old Town market were Edward Lee Poh Lin, the state assemblyman for Bukit Gasing and Chan Chee Kong, the councillor for Petaling Jaya. Wong said the PJ market would be upgraded in stages, starting with the fish and meat sections, to improve its hygiene. She added that the stalls would be enlarged and new tiles laid.

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.

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.