Tag: Local Authorities

Malaysia’s Economic Development Must be Implemented in a Free and Fair Fashion

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SHAH ALAM, 8 Nov: The economic development in Malaysia still requires international investment and trade; however its implementation should be done freely and fairly.

Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said that over 60 percent of economic opportunities are still dependent on international trade due to the country’s small internal market since the Malaysian economy began to grow till now.

He said that the matter can be seen if we refer to the Trans-Pacific Agreement (TPPA) which is now in the process of negotiations with the federal government.

“Each person must accept the fact and agree that we cannot run away from making international trade relations and it looks like no one is objecting to it.

“However, it should be noted that although it is accepted, responsible parties should ensure the the trade agreement which is signed is fair to us,” he said.

He said this in front of about 100 participants comprising of state employees, government linked companies (GLCs) and local authorities at a TPPA Briefing event held here at the Silver Jubilee Hall today.

The TPPA Briefing session was presented by a three-member panel consisting of Professor Gus Van Harten (Canada), Pablo Solon (Bolivia) and Cecilia Olivet (Uruguay), and was also participated by Member of Parliament for Klang, Charles Santiago.

Commenting of the TPPA, Abdul Khalid said that the agreement which is to be signed by the Central Government early next year may also have an impact on the state government.

“For example, if the TPPA states that the awarding of contracts should be open to all, including multinational corporations, but the Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS) gives the opportunity to Bumiputera entrepreneurs in the name of wanting to help the community, we could be sued.

“They can also take Selangor to court for failing to comply with the conditions set in the agreement and we might be sued and cause losses to the people,” he said.

Abdul Khalid, who is also the Member of Parliament for Bandar Tun Razak, hopes that the briefing held would provide knowledge to the public in understanding the effects of the TPPA, in addition to asking the Central Government to make a decision which will benefit the people.

Selangor the First State to Approve Swiftlet Licence

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SHAH ALAM, 8 Nov: Selangor became the first state to approve the granting of licence for the farming and operating industry of swiftlet nests through an intensive package offer that is fair to existing farmers and operators, with effect from 1 January 2014.

Executive Councillor for Local Government, Studies and Research, Datuk Teng Chang Khim, said that implementation of the policy was decided by the State Government Council Meeting (MMKN) after holding a dialogue session with associations and operators of the industry on 25 September.

He said that the implementation will be done through the enforcement of Rearing of Swiftlet and Manufacturing of Swiftlets’ Nest By-laws 2013 in all Local Authorities in the state of Selangor.

“In the consideration process, the state government took into account several factors including the interests and problems of operators, in addition to the interest of the public in terms of hygiene, disease control, sound pollution, negative impact on property prices as well and building a comfortable city,” he said in a press statement at his office here today.

At the same time, Teng explained several key points of the implementation of the licencing policy which needs to be observed by swiftlet farmers and operators as decided at the MMKN.

“All breeders and operators on agricultural land will be granted licence starting 1 January, 2014. Breeders and operators of existing business premises will receive licences starting form 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2016, while breeders and operators on paddy fields will be given licences from 1 January 2014 to 1 December 2020.

“For breeders and operators in business premises as well as paddy fields, they will be given incentives which includes licensing fees, free quite rent and assessment for five years at the new site if they move their premises to existing farming sites within the period the licence is granted,” he said.

Chang Kim said that the granting of licence is subject to conditions provided for under the by-laws and all operators and breeders have to submit licence application no lter than 31 December this year.

“Licence application for operation in business premises and paddy fields, whether existing or new, will not be considered after 31 December this year and all applications will be submitted to the relevant local authorities.

“We hope that with the granting of this licence, breeders and operators of the swiftlet nest industry in Selangor will grow in an orderly manner, thus benefiting the economic development of the state,” he said.

Residents Representative Committee has Political Aims and to Seize Power from Local Authorities

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KUALA LUMPUR, 7 Nov: The Residents Representative Committee (JPP) which was established by the federal government to support community development programmes is deemed to have political aims and attempts a coup from the state government and local authorities.

Member of Parliament for Bayan Baru, Sim Tze Tzin, said that the function of the JPP which is proposed by the central government is similar to the duties of council members and may be in violation of the Constitution.

He said that the JPP which is concentrated in urban areas will target local authorities in Pakatan Rakyat (PR) state and may be aimed at competing with council members appointed by the state government.

“The establishment of the JPP was decided after Barisan Nasional (BN) failed to win the majority vote from the population of urban areas during the 13th General Election.

“We suspect that the federal government wants to centralise power by establishing the JPP as ‘Appointed Council Members of the Federal Government’ which is clearly in contradiction with the Constitution because local authorities are under the jurisdiction of the state government.

“I urge for the local government and state government to take not on this initiative,” he said in a press conference at the Parliament lobby today.

He said that it would be better is the government allows for the implementation of local government elections to be held to give a larger mandate to the administration of local authorities.

He said that the election will be guaranteed to make existing council members more effective in administration and municipality.

“The establishment of the JPP is just a waste of time and provisions because it would limit the power of local authorities, which are actually under the jurisdiction of the state government. The federal government should take heed that the power of local authorities lies under the state government and avoid from breach of power,” he said.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced a budget allocation of RM63 million to set up 24 JPP zones in every local authority on 2 October.

The JPP will act as a single entity consisting of representatives of the local community to support community development programmes, while addressing urban issues in local authority areas, and the latest initiative is the result of feedback indicating that most of the urban population do not clearly understand government funded programmes during the GE-13.

Power Distribution Reform

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KUALA LUMPUR, 7 Nov: Malaysia needs to implement a decentralisation of power of a total reform to the distribution of power in efforts to make the government more efficient.

Member of Parliament for Bayan Baru (PKR), Sim Tze Tzin, said that decentralisation process allows for power to be distributed more equally between the federal and state government, as well as the local authorities.

“For example, in the United States, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) is collected by the local government and not the federal government.

“This similar in our neighbouring country, Indonesia, which implements the ‘Big Bang Policy’ a decentralisation of the central government to local governments,” he said during the Budget 2014 debate at the Parliamentary session last night.

Tze Tzin said that power that should be under the state government was transferred to the central government, including land and water, since independence.

The centralisation of power has not only caused various problems or left local issues hanging, but it has also increased the national debt.

“Malaysia has 35 ministers and 26 deputy ministers, but Australia, with a population which is about the same, only has 19 ministers, while Obama only needs 15 ministers.

“This centralisation of power has caused the operating budget to be huge and it has jumped up to 82.4 percent, compared to development expenses of a 17.6 percent growth rate,” he said.

MBSA Urges Vendors in Section 2 to Keep Premises Clean

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SHAH ALAM, 5 Nov: Vendors at the Prima Dua Food Court have been advised to prioritise the aspect of cleanliness in the preparation of food and drinks, as well as to comply with regulations set by the Shah Alam City Council (MBSA).

MBSA Deputy Corporate Director, Shahrin Ahmad, said that the directive is to ensure that the food court is always clean and maintained because it is visited by people from all walks of life.

He said that the matter has often been advised to vendors, including Konsortium Permodalan Shah Alam Sdn Bhd, from time to time.

“The regulations and law is not to trouble vendors, but to ensure that the food court is always maintained because it is visited by many people, especially students of Mara University of Technology (UiTM) who come from across the country.

“I urge all parties, including vendors and the consortium to work together with MBSA to ensure that stalls are in a comfortable condition,” he said in a short message system (SMS) message in relation to complaints received from vendors at the food court recently.

Earlier in a joint operation, MBSA seized and issued orders for a 14 day closure for premises which failed to comply with food premises rules of hygiene.

In addition to the directive to close the premises, MBSA also seized chairs, tables, umbrellas, grills and stoves because it was places outside the premises.

Meanwhile, Shahrin said that he will discuss in detail about claims by vendors regarding summons without notice on the installation of billboards in the premises before action is taken.

“This matter will be discussed with the consortium to seek clarification before further action is taken by MBSA,” he said.

Premises Demolishing Spun into Racial Issue

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SHAH ALAM, 1 Nov: Datuk Teng Chang Khim is disappointed with those connecting the action by the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) to demolish an additional building of a restaurant in Serdang Perdana, with racial issues.

The Executive Councillor in charge of the Selangor Local Government, Studies and Research said that the issue is brought up to discredit Pakatan Rakyat (PR) by giving the impression that the Selangor Government is not helping Malay businessmen.

Instead, he said, the demolition was based on provisions of Local Government law that knows no colour difference.

“In this country, there are three main races; Malays, Chinese and Indians, in addition to other ethnic groups in Sabah and Sarawak.

“Every action, if not done to Malays, can be said to be done to Chinese or Indians.

“When action is taken against a Malay person, they accuse the government for being racist. If action is taken against a Chinese or Indian, the racial issue is still played.

“So, when will it end?” he said at a press conference at his office here at the State Secretariat Building (SUK) today.

Apart from the premises in Serdang Perdana, several food stalls owned by Malays were demolished by the Kajang Municipal Council (MPKJ) at Taman Mesra Batu 13, Jalan Cheras in Kajang, and the mainstream media has made an issue of it on 30 October.

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Vendors claimed that enforcement officers were biased when carrying out the action, however MPKJ denied the allegations.

Meanwhile, the MPSJ Director of Public Relations, Asfarizal Abdul Rashid said that the demolition had been done as the additional building was leased to foreign traders.

He said, the new building structure was built without permission, and was found to be a risk to the public because it was located near the main road.

“We act based on complaints received from the public because it endangers motorists passing through the area. The demolition was carried out on 28 October,” he said.

Last week, two houses in Kampung Chubadak were demolished by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) because the land was said to be owned by the Federal Land Commissioner.

Apart from the two houses, there are still about 200 houses in the village that would receive the same fate, and is now being monitored by the Member of Parliament of Batu, Tian Chua.

However, in contrast to the restaurant in Serdang Perdana, the issue of the demolition of the village houses, where the majority of residents are Malay, was deliberately not publicised by the mainstream media since the village is located under the jurisdiction of the Barisan Nasional (BN) government.

PJ Senior Citizen’s Run 2013

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PETALING JAYA, 1 Nov: The PJ Senior Citizen’s Run 2013 which was held at the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) compound received encouraging response, with 300 people from all walks of life participated in the programme on 27 October.

The programme is part of initiative under the MBPJ community development programme in conjunction with the National Senior Citizen’s Day which is celebrated on 1 October every year.

MBPJ Council Member, Ahmad Akhir Pawan Chik, said that the programme is able to instil the spirit of social responsibility and is an effective idea, especially for senior citizens.

“Participants were also given tips in caring for their health. In addition, values among the community can be instilled so as to bridge the gap between the elderly and the young,” he said.

Also held at the event was the programme for Healthy, Quality and Increase in Self-Potential for Senior Citizens as well as a Fun Exercise, choir performances, games and a lucky draw contest.

Participants also received information on weight loss, blood pressure levels, strength of hands and legs, nutrition advice and special exercises throughout the programme.

The programme was in collaboration with the University of Malaya’s Melor Project (Malaysian Elders Longitudinal Research), consisting of physicians and academics from various faculties such as medicine, law, economics and administration, education, architecture, engineering, computer science, as well as information technology and sports science.

The Melor Project involves groups that conduct research projects to be used and applied by the elderly in efforts to improve their quality of life.

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MPK Confiscates Illegal Adverts

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KLANG, 29 Oct: The Klang Municipal Council (MPK) confiscated 37,564 illegal adverts, including 9,064 loan shark advertisements at Berkley Roundabout and other major roads.

The Director of MPK’s Enforcement Department, Andry Arman Masrom, said the move was made under the MPK Advertising By-laws (UUK) 2007 for the offence of putting up adverts without permission from local authorities, meanwhile, the act of bringing down the adverts was done under UUK 21 (2).

He said that the illegal advertisements were mostly in the form of buntings and posters that were giant sized, which obstructed the view of the public.

“We welcome information from the public in efforts to eradicate illegal adverts such as this, which are not only against the law, but affect the health of localities.

“In addition, some of these adverts obstruct the view of road users, as they were placed without following procedures set by the council,” he said in a press statement recently.

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Andry said among the locations of placing illegal adverts are at Bukit Tinggi, Bayu Perdana, Taman Sentosa, Pekan Kapar, Meru and Port Klang.

He said MPK frequently monitors illegal adverts from time to time in effort to overcome problems of obstructing road signs.

“MPK also hopes for cooperation from local communities to immediately report to us if they see any illegal adverts in their area,” he said.

MBPJ Becomes First Local Authority to Organise World Animal Day Every Year

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SHAH ALAM, 29 Oct: The Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) made history when they became the first Local Authority in Malaysia to organise the World Animal Day every year since year 2009.

The fourth celebration themed ‘Pet Ownership Responsibility’ was aimed at increasing awareness of pet owners and a sense of responsibility towards pets.

In conjunction with the World Animal Day 2013, a forum entitled ‘Responsible Pet Owners’ was held here at the MBPJ Community Library Knowledge Hall recently.

The programme was inaugurated by the Assemblyman of Seri Andalas, Dr Xavier Jayakumar, and was also attended by the MBPJ Director of the Department of Environmental Health, Dr Chitradavi, the Director of the DBKL Department of Health and Environment, Dr Hayati Abdullah, and MBPJ Council Members.

At the same event, pet owners were given certificates in addition to the presentation of work papers and a question and answer session with panel members.

MBPJ also informed that the by-laws concerning licencing and dog breeding homes have been implemented to ensure that irresponsible parties will not mistreat animals.

A penalty of RM2,000 or imprisonment of less than a year, or both, will be imposed if anyone goes against the by-laws.

MBPJ also established the Canine Advisory Team (CAT) in Selangor as a sign of concern and responsibility on animal welfare.

Budget 2014, MBPJ Focuses of 5 Key Development Sectors

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PETALING JAYA, 26 Oct: The Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) will focus on five key development sectors in the Selangor Budget 2014.

These sectors are; infrastructure, environmentally friendly environment, efficient traffic management, sustainable lifestyle and organisation empowerment.

The Mayor of Petaling Jaya, Datin Paduka Alinah Ahmad said emphasis will be put on providing world class services and facilities to meet the needs of the Petaling Jaya community.

“By improving efficiency in traffic management and infrastructure, the Council is committed to improving the quality of public facilities and public transport networks to address traffic problems,” she said when chairing the full MBPJ meeting here.

In relation to that, a total of RM1 million is allocated to provide feeder bus services, and RM4.67 million to provide ‘Park n Ride’ facilities in special areas, as well as RM6.07 million to build bicycle and pedestrian paths that are comfortable and safe.

She said, cooperation and full support from all parties is needed in order to achieve this vision.

“For example, support from the Petaling District Land Office is necessary for immediate processing of TOL land acquisition for the construction of the ‘Park n Ride’ facility, so is cooperation from utility provider agencies.

“This includes Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), Indah Water Konsortium and other agencies so that any construction of road excavation will not cause serious disruptions to road users,” she added.

In the meantime, MBPK is also planning the development of the city so that it would become a city which is liveable, loved and has soul.

To achieve this, development planning should be focused on creating a workable public space to create social interaction among city dwellers.

“The council wants for city dwellers to be able to work, play and live in urban areas with passion, a sense of grace and wholeheartedly,” she added.

Stall and Restaurant Owners Must Enhance Cleanliness

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SUBANG JAYA, 25 Oct: Owners of stalls and restaurants under the area of the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) have been urged to ensure cleanliness of their premises to avoid from any action being taken against them.

The President of MPSJ, Datuk Asmawi Kasbi, said stern action will be taken, including closing down dirty premises of stubborn owners who refuse to comply with the rules set.

He said that as of now, three restaurants have been given compounds and warning to improve their level of cleanliness and adherence to regulations.

“We hope that owners of premises will follow regulations set by MPSJ and to not rules imposed on them.

“MPSJ will take action by issuing a compound of those who carry out many offences. We also hope that this action will be a lesson to other premises owners,” he said.

He said this at a press conference after launching the My@MPSJ Registration Campaign which was held here at the MPSJ headquarters this morning.

Asmawi said on-going operation against stalls and restaurant premises will be performed more frequently to ensure the parties concerned abide by the law.

He said traders should also follow the rules and not place tables and chairs outside the premises.

“The compound set is at RM2,000 without discount or appeals because MPSJ wants to teach traders to be more disciplined,” he said.

My@MPSJ for Easy Online Transactions

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SUBANG JAYA, 25 Oct: Taxpayers under the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) no longer need to go to the office for any tax payment transaction because it can be done online at My@MPSJ.

MPSJ President, Datuk Asmawi Kasbi said MPSJ will implement the system where tax payment bills will be electronically sent to customers starting next year.

“Therefore, we encourage the public to register immediately. Applications through taxpayer records will help us send the bill to them,” he said.

He said this during a press conference after the launch of the My@MPSJ Registration Campaign which was held at the MPSJ headquarters today.

He said the online service being provided is for the payment of assessments, traffic compounds, rent, water bills, security, court reservations, licence renewal and checking of contractor payment status.

“MPSJ will also provide alternatives for membership registration at the MPSJ headquarters counter and those who sign have the opportunity to receive lucky draw prizes up to RM20,000,” he said.

The requirements to become a member of My@MPSJ is to provide a copy of identification card, a copy of the business registration certificate or related documents, and send it to the My@MPSJ Hub Counter at the Department of Information Technology, the MPSJ Information counter or send an e-mail to [email protected] or through fax at 03-8024 6612.

Those wishing to obtain further information about My@MPSK can check out our website at http://www.mpsj.gov.my and come to the MPSJ Department of Information Technology.