1. Today, I sent an email to Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan requesting his assistance in getting MPAJ to move and overcome their hierocratic process in getting a simple task done. I have been seeking help to get MPAJ to clear the clogged drains on the slopes surrounding Taman Bukit Utama. Since the Dec 6, 2008 landslide tragedy, I have sent three official requests to MPAJ via email. I have also told the NYDP personally on two separate occasions. I have spoken to the Engineering department regularly but nothing is happening. I have also informed the Ahli Majlis twice. From reliable source within MPAJ, I was told that everyone is pushing the responsibility away from one department to another.
2. Last month I met the MB special assistant and highlighted the matter to him. I sent him two follow up emails just to keep him alert but he has been giving me a standard diplomatic reply. Still nothing is happening on ground. What does it take government agency to move? What is the real issue here that I do not even get an official reply for my request? For the record, it has been raining regularly past 10 days in Bukit Antarabangsa and we, the resident are worried.
3. The state of affairs in MPAJ I believe is reflective of many local authorities (LA) in Selangor. It is no secret that many of the LA appointees are politically inclined to UMNO. This people cannot separate the differences between politics and being a government servant. If this frontline machinery of the state government does not meet the expectation of the people, I believe many will switch their votes back to BN. I would probably the first few in the front row doing so.
4. It has been a year since PR took over the government of Selangor. I think it is time that the MB and State Exco’s takes a tougher stand. I cannot comment about other local authority but in Ampang Jaya, I would say the basic services are getting from bad to worse. Street cleaning, grass cutting and drain cleaning is not up to mark. I would say it is now become worse than what it was a year ago.
5. There is a saying that “fish rot from the head” and in this case, I would say that it is time that the councillors be reviewed and the YDP is to be sacked. I believe the current YDP is on loan from the Federal Government. He should go back to JPA. Dato’ Yaccob, I apologize for saying this but there is nothing personal here. You are the captain of the boat and as the captain you have failed to steer your boat efficiently.
6. While the MB is showing indecisive action concerning the water issues and now facing several personal problems with the MACC, he and Ronnie Liu attention has been diverted away from the frontline of the state government service.
7. I say that the MB is indecisive concerning the water issue because the state reluctance to enforce the State Water Enactment Act in acquiring the water management resources from the current operator.. In my mind, this is a simple matter. If the two parties cannot agree on the price then use the law. The interest of the people is far more important than the interest of few shareholders of Syabas.
8. On the local issue in Ampang Jaya, your personal assistant has failed to revert to me. The YDP and their officers have failed to do so either. They have yet to take remedial action. What does it take to move people in MPAJ? Maybe another 30,000-lorry load of earth from a fresh landslide, scores of damaged properties and the loss of a dozen or more lives?
9. Tan Sri, please do something now before it is too late i.e. before another landslide as well as before you lose the faith of the people. I say it again, Do it before it is too late. Manage your front lines.
[...] wrote about it in my blog. I wrote to MPAJ several times but somehow that did not make things work. I had to raise the issue with MB himself when I wrote an open letter to MB asking him to manage his frontlines and sack the YDP for not [...]
Here is the update following the publication of the above article:
21/3 – Article published
22/3- sms exchange with Izzudin, BA local councillor
22/3 – sent email of the article to YDP, MB, and Zahir (MB special assistant)
23/3 – was informed by MPAJ inside contact that MPAJ was shaken by the article and was followup by zahir
23/3 – MPAJ officers and contractors visit site.
24/3 – MPAJ contractors started work. At 500 pm, I had inspected the work done. About 5 percent work done.
Drains found and interconnected with the drains at Puncak Athenium and run down to Hillview. Drains linking Athenium and those going to Taman hillview are totally buried.Soil soggy.Trees growing in the drain.
I will inspect and update on this matter daily for the benefit of BA residence
I seek to know whether this is actually true , information gathered over “teh tarik”:
1. New maintenance contracts awarded by the LAs under the PR Selangor government do not go through any tender process.
2. Contracts are awarded on fixed contract price determined by the LAs and given to friendly contractors from a list kept by the office of SUK .
3. The contract price is low which is affecting the performance of the maintenance contractors. Many have resorted to cutting corners in delivering services evidenced by poor services .
4. Contractors who wish to get into the list of contractors kept by the office of SUK have to pay money ( RM 10,000 was mentioned ) to PR lobbyist as contribution to a so called PR Fund.
If this is true , at least perception from the teh tarik group , then the PR government is as bad as the BN government. The politics of patronage , cronyism and corrupt practices are here to stay and in no time PR will loose the faith and support from the rakyat .
Ai..Yo Yo
Ur issue was raised with MPAJ’s Jabatan Perkhidmatan Perbandaran dan Kesihatan 4 months ago and Alam Flora promised to rectify the problem. I have reminded the Department and Deputy YDP once again on 1/3/2009 during the gotong-royong.
Salam En Izzuddin
1.You have amplified and confirm my thoughts on the matter.
2. How many reminders must there be before any actual work will be done.
3. As I drove into my taman today at 1230pm, a lorry and its workers were pinning more sign boards on lorry for rent on trees….
4. May I suggest you print this article and discuss it at the next Majlis meeting.
I agree with all of you on what you are saying, the civil servants are still playing politics, and to make it worse, sabotaging the pakatan’s efforts to clean up the mess of 50 years of misrule. Now the time has come to start sacking civil servants who are sabotaging the state’s efforts, the dead woods, the political appointies who owe the alliances to the preveous govt. With the amount of professionals being let go from the private sector, the pakatan should start employing proper civil servants inmaterial of the skin colour, maybe when their jobs are up to the most capable, than maybe the civil servants will get ofF their fat butts and stop talking and politicking and start doing the work they are being paid to do, there are no MORE free lunches anymore for the lazy and dead wood bums, If Pakatan does not do this, if Pakatan is afraid to antognise the civil servants, think again, who you should be more afraid of- the voters or civil servants, WAKE UP PAKATAN, MAYBE YOU NEED A KICK IN THE BUTT BUT DO SOMETHING BEFORE ITS TOO LATE.
It’s just a year since PR took over from PR and I can visualise the difficulties Datuk Khalid must be facing to adjust himself to work with people left by Toyo.Not only Dtk Khalid must tackle the administrative fiasco in the state that he inherited but also to disipline those that have been working for Toyo and now with him.Those loyal to Toyo will definitely try to subo Dtk Khalid with whatever means they can,thus,maintenance, cleanliness and the like will take its toll.We have to endure this set-back for at least 3 more years until PRU13 if we want a change.
I start my comment with a caveat ; this is my opinion based on perception and perception can be 100% true or half truth but never intended to be a lie.
The rakyat wanted a change and there is a change in the state government , in this context PR for Selangor. With a change there must be sacrifices and for that the rakyat must bear with the PR state government because it is never easy to instill changes more so with obstacles along the way.
I can see more receptive political leaders in the PR than BN. This in itself is a big change as sincerity to help the rakyat can be felt without having to resort to corrupt practices. However , what is questionable is the slow deliverables.
A better delivery system is much to be desired !
There must be a greater separation of powers/authorities between the politicians and the civil servants. This sadly is not the case even for the PR state government. Too much politicking is evidenced with the insistence that councillors are party members ; not individual professionals in land matters , designs , development , properties , marketing , legal , finance , etc . Sad to see the councillors many of whom are not expertise in the various fields , though I believe are not corrupted , cannot make recommendations/decisions based on professional judgements but based more on pleasing others to gain political milage. Nothing gets done properly. A apolitical councillor who is independent and not subservient to the polical masters , in my honest opinion , will do a better job in ensuring that civil servants act to the interest of the rakyat.
There are predominantly 3 categories of civil servants ; dead woods , act only with inducement and ones we called “penyakit nak hidup”. This is where problem appears as civil servants cannot separate politics in doing their job. Should I take instruction from the federal or state political leaders/government? There must be a way for them to act not on political consideration.
I see therefore an urgent need for councillors to be independent professionals and non politicians , who since are apolitical can do their work without fear and favour. I feel the civil servants will respond better with a more professional working environment . To these councillors being professionals their KPI will be good delivery with the highest integrity.
Yes Doc, the same thing happens in Shah Alam, the city. Shah Alam is now better know as the city of potholes! I need to send my car for wheel alignment and balancing every month! I am fed up with the people up there. They are more worried about Khir Toyo than the people that voted them in!