The Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (c4) has launched “Mycleancity”, an application (app) to harness the people’s participation with the local government to solve issues such as potholes, unattended rubbish, and repair works for Petaling Jaya residents.

According to C4 founder Cynthia Gabriel at the launch last week, the app enables the public to snap, upload and tag photos on an online notice board for netizens to see.

The initiative is a solution to the Petaling Jaya Municipal Council’s slow rate of response and in some cases, complete forgoing of dealing with complaints from PJ residents.

“It is an online gotong-royong of sorts,” Cynthia said, adding that people participation was key in pushing for transparency and anti-corruption even within local government.

“There is something fundamentally wrong with the system when despite resources and funds these problems are not resolved.”

She said that residents face potholes, clogged drains, illegal dumping which is not dealt with efficiently by the town council even with a staff size of over 2,000.

Cynthia, an ex-municipal councillor with MPPJ, said that it was not short of funds, being the second richest municipal council after the Kuala Lumpur Municipal Council (DBKL).

“There is a range of problems, there are delays, shoddy workmanship, contractors who don’t know how to perform their jobs,” she said.

She explained that the app was not just to solve these day to day issues, but to improve accountability in local government.

“It is about ensuring that the money ratepayers pay is returned with quality services.”

At the event, she shared a real time report from MPPJ which, according to her, was only available for council members. It showed, amongst other updates, that 471 complaints of broken drains had not been dealt with from August last year to January 8 2015.

“Now, based on that kind of data, I think we have no choice but to organise ourselves,” she said.

Selangor executive councillor in charge of local councils Ean Yong Hian Wah who officiated the event also praised C4 for the initiative.

“Our mission is to make sure that the local government would fulfil residents’ expectations at all.”

The open launch for the app will be held on January 16, when C4 will be celebrating its one year anniversary, after which it will be free for all to download.

-The Rocket