16
speak up!
T
HE most significant event related
to local government this year is
the control of 41 local authorities
in Kedah, Penang, Perak and Selangor
by Pakatan Rakyat component parties
after the March 8 general election.
Many who complained about the
local councils have been very hopeful
that this would lead to better urban
governance.
After all, the DAP and PKR
promised local government elections
in their election manifestos. There was
also the “Bring back the third vote”
campaign. Furthermore, the leaders
of both parties were relentless in
their criticism of the Barisan Nasional-
dominated local councils.
So far, except for replacing the
councillors, there has been little
change. While it is not possible for the
Pakatan Rakyat governments to hold
local government elections without an
amendment to the Local Government
Act, at least DAP and PKR must show
that they have been working towards
“bringing back the third vote”.
Worse, the selection of the new
councillors was basically the same as
that practised by the Barisan Nasional.
Consequently, the bulk of the council-
lors are members or supporters of the
DAP, PKR and PAS. The only difference
is the appointment of some nominees
from non-governmental organisations
and for this the Pakatan Rakyat state
governments must be commended.
Even more disappointing is the
lack of progress towards good urban
governance, especially in making the
workings of the local councils more
transparent and accountable. In fact,
Unfulfilled potentials
despite the much pub-
licised adoption of CAT
– competency, account-
ability and transparency
– by the Penang state
government, little has
changed for the better
in the two local councils.
The year also saw a
new minister taking over
the housing and local
government portfolio. LocalCounsel the status quo is not an
Although Datuk Seri Ong
Ka Ting won his parlia- by Goh Ban Lee
mentary seat in the elec-
tions, he chose not to be appointed a
minister to take responsibility for the Fuad, who was the secretary-general
poor election performance of the MCA
of which he was the president. This
demonstration of integrity is rare in
Malaysia and should be applauded.
The new minister, Datuk Seri Ong
Ka Chuan, who was the secretary-
general of the MCA, lost in his bid to
be the deputy president of the MCA
in October. As such, his position has
been uncertain.
This uncertainty is bad for the
country in view of several critical
issues that need the minister’s full
attention. For instance, what has hap-
pened to the Solid Waste and Public
Cleansing Management Act and the
Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Man-
agement Corporation Act that were
TELLING IT AS IT IS
Acting Editor-in-Chief: Chong Cheng Hai
Consultant Editor: Zainon Ahmad
Executive Editor: Lee Boon Siew
Deputy Editor: Patrick Choo (Production),
Editor: R. Nadeswaran (Special Reporting)
passed by Parliament last
year and supposed to be
implemented this year?
Meanwhile, the minis-
ter’s job has become more
difficult. The governments
of Penang, Perak and Selan-
gor are against the federal
government taking over
solid waste management.
Unfortunately, maintaining
option. Something must be
done to improve the man-
agement of solid waste.
The year also saw Datuk Ahmad
of the Housing and Local Government
Ministry, appointed Kuala Lumpur
mayor. Although he earned praise as
the Subang Jaya Municipal Council
president, the municipality is basically
a bedroom community.
The challenges of managing Kuala
Lumpur are much more complex.
There is high expectation of a better
quality of life in the promised “world
class” city even though many Kuala
Lumpur residents possess the ugly
Malaysian mentality.
More significantly, although the
mayor has almost dictatorial powers,
he works in the environment of 10
demanding opposition members of
parliament from the city, a Federal
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Territories Ministry with many idle
hands and grassroots political leaders
who want to show they have some
influence. The path to a world class
city is through walking on a bowling
ball while juggling many objects.
Other significant events related
to local government during the year
include the poor handling of the
aborted tennis event by the Penang
Island Municipal Council, the lack of
leadership from the Ampang Jaya
Municipal Council in the aftermath of
the Bukit Antarabangsa landslides and
the controversies ignited by the public
exhibition of the draft Kuala Lumpur
local plan. Then there is the inscription
of parts of George Town and Malacca
as Unesco world heritage sites.
As a whole, the year closes with
unfulfilled potentials. The Barisan
Nasional could have initiated changes
in urban governance to show that
things could be better without
changing government. More signi-
ficantly, the Pakatan Rakyat compo-
nent parties wasted an opportunity to
show that they could do better.
A happy 2009.
Dr Goh Ban Lee is a retired academic
interested in urban governance, hous-
ing and urban planning. Comments:
letters@thesundaily.com.
| TUESDAY DECEMBER 30 2008
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Leave it to the
religious scholars
IN “Allow youth to mingle” by
Women’s Centre for Change (Letters,
Dec 26), the centre called for Muslim
youth of both sexes to be allowed to
mingle freely with each other, in this
case to dance together.
WCC did provide some reasons to
justify its call, but did it not come to
its mind that what it is preaching is
against the teachings of Islam? Does
it not care to study, or at least refer
to trusted scholars, about Islamic
teachings with regard to interac-
tion between Muslims of opposite
sexes?
We must appreciate that religions
come with rules and restrictions.
These rules and restrictions are there
in the scriptures for us to study. To
ask that Muslims of both sexes be
encouraged to dance together freely
can be equated to asking them to
consume pork or drink alcohol,
which are sinful according to Islamic
teachings.
In my opinion when it comes to
religious matters, we’d better leave it
to the religious authorities or trusted
scholars to guide us. Let’s not use
logic to justify things; otherwise
we may insult the religion and its
followers.
Traditional Dancer
Petaling Jaya