We are living in an increasingly urbanized Malaysia. With that, the demand for more effective local governments is ever on the rise. More than 70% of Malaysia’s 28 million people population lives in urban centres dotted throughout the country, according to a 2012 World Bank data. The Malaysian urbanization wave is obvious – the pattern is set to spread. The question is: how well are our local governments handling all this?
With urban growth expanding at an annual rate of 3% per year, more urban-related issues and call for more pragmatic solutions. Public transportation woes and solid waste management top the stack, with traffic congestion and water issues also demanding attention.
Selangor and Penang have been under the administration of Pakatan Rakyat since 2008. Locals will testify that local council governance has since changed for the better since then, we highlight a few examples here:
MPSJ Emerges Tops
The 2011 Auditor General’s Report ranked MPSJ as ‘excellent’, with a score of 95.96 over 100. Governing an area that is densely urbanized, MPSJ handles the challenges faced in daily lives of this bustling suburb with care and prudence.
Putting the ‘open budget’ concept to practice, MPSJ believes that the public should have access to see and analyse the council’s budget, according to one of its councillors, Rajiv Rishyakaran. “It gives the people a chance to see where their money goes to, and to ‘check’ the local authority’s spending,” adds Rajiv.
State assemblywoman for Subang Jaya, Hannah Yeoh reiterates the notion of accountability in the local council’s financial management, highlighting MPSJ’s achievement in cutting expenditures for items deemed to ‘not return the residents any profit’.
“I’m pleased with this achievement,” says Yeoh. “We haven’t been hearing about cases of mismanagements by local authorities, ever since 2008. This is a proof that Selangor has managed to embrace an administration that is accountable, clean.”
The Auditor-General report also took notice of a drop in Subang Jaya’s crime index, showing that MPSJ’s effort of installing CCTVs at many spots within its area of jurisdiction proved to be a relevant step. The establishment of a 24-hour ‘response team’, catering to residents’ concerns and complaints, has helped to curb address issues and problems, but despite its milestones, MPSJ believes this is just a start.
MBPJ On the Go
Ranked third in Malaysian Urban Indicator, MURNI Net, MBPJ has also received 4-star rating from the Ministry of Housing and Local Government.
Unknown to many, MBPJ provides free community shuttle buses plying routes in PJ Selatan and PJ Utara to service the elderly and the poor. The council provides mobile counter units to make it more convenient for ratepayers to pay their assessment during the season.
MBPJ’s new requirements for residential and commercial development projects include the installation of rainwater harvesting systems. This is part of Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ)’s move to promote sustainable development through their local agenda 21 initiative. In addition, the council offers tax rebates to homeowners with green and sustainable designs.
MPPP Navigates Ahead
The Penang Island Municipal Council, together with the Seberang Perai Municipal Council, are the first two councils ever to be headed by women. MPPP’s Dato’ Patahiyah Ismail has steered the council with a steady hand to several notable achievements.
This year, MPPP has introduced a 12.5km dedicated coastal bicycle lane from Queensbay to George Town, a nation-wide first. MPPP’s “Towards a Safe and Green Penang” campaign also included a statewide ban on free plastic bags since January 2010 and against polystyrene containers since December 1 this year. The council has also designated particular zones of George Town as car free on Sundays.
Another bold measure introduced by MPPP was the 16 free Bridge Express Shuttle Transit (BEST) buses to ferry passengers across the bridge and reduce traffic congestion. MPPP also gave special recognition to its council workers involved in dirty, dangerous and difficult jobs at a special awards ceremony in conjunction with the Yang DiPertua Negeri’s birthday.
MPSP’s Turnaround
The Seberang Perai Municipal Council is known for its extraordinary financial turnaround from its RM230 million losses – near bankruptcy- before PR took over. Through stringent cost-cutting, PR reversed the deficit within the first year of governance, and the council has been having surplus budget since then, a noteworthy feat.
Equally notable is the gender responsive budget, an initiative by MPSP and MPPP to promote participatory democracy. The pilot project allows residents in selected housing schemes to vote on their needs and decide on how to use the allocation. This pioneer program takes into consideration the different needs of various interest groups in drafting the budget, instead of a ‘top down’ approach.
Many do not know about MPSP’s implementation of a minimum (floor) wage of RM1,200 for all its council workers. This revolutionary labour policy goes a long way to improving the welfare of workers. Remarkably, it was implemented beginning this year, while the Federal Government was still blowing hot and cold about the minimum wage in principle.
The NGO-initiated ‘Know Your Councillor’ campaign to bridge the gap between the people and their councilors has praised MPSP for its introduction of mobile service units. -The Rocket
