Press Conf#1- 30/06/16

PRESS STATEMENT

Coalition of Good Governance

(In cooperation with Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism)

30th June 2016

 

Of late there are many incidents that have occurred in Petaling Jaya that has made the residents and stakeholders of Petaling Jaya (PJ) increasingly concern about the development and safety of the city. The shoddy workmanship of road dividers, the death of an elderly gentleman whose car drove into a badly guarded pit, the fatalities of the one way loop, serial robberies and rape in Gasing Indah.

Of concern is also “development by ambush” which continue to happen all over PJ with protracted battles with residents over the legality of the developments. Recent incidents that come to mind are the purportedly “approved” developments of the Kelana Jaya football field as well as the areas around the recreational lake of Taman Aman.

On 18th June 2016, the caring citizens of Petaling Jaya gathered to have their inaugural meeting where it is decided that structural and systemic changes are needed to ensure that the service delivery of MBPJ can be improved in a sustainable manner. It is also recognized that the problems facing MBPJ has evolved to be multi-faceted and can only be solve with active partnership with the public. The first meeting was a jointly organized by Coalition of Good Governance (CGG) and the Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4)

The group include one coalition OF NGOS, four NGOs and twelve Resident Associations. Some current and ex-MBPJ councilors have also joined in support of this MBPJ-Residents

My PJ had identified five key areas where professionals and experts from PJ residents had been identified to work with MBPJ.

KEY AREA #1 – SHODDY WORKMANSHIP

  • Description: There has been an increase in public projects that are done in a shoddy manner. Many of these are well covered by the press.
  • MyPJ Expectation: Bill of quantities, Job Specifications and Design on awarded contracts by MBPJ is to be published in the MBPJ Website.

KEY AREA #2 – MBPJ annual budget and report

  • Description: There has been a lack of transparency and accountability by MBPJ in the preparation and monitoring of its annual budget. Accounts of MBPJ have not been published on its web site since 2011.
  • MyPJ Expectation:
    • The Standard Operating Procedure and the timeline for the preparation of the 2017 budget to be made public through the website. Budget preparation must be produced using Zero-Based Budgeting rather than Incremental Budgeting and Participatory budgeting must be employed in all wards.
    • The promised mid-term public hearing that was promised at the 2015 budget hearing be honored. A dialogue sometime in July or August 2016 should be held to review the Budget Spending of January – June 2016 be held before the public dialogue on the 2017 budget is called.
    • Budget monitoring Committee as approved by the council during Dato Roslan tenure to be implemented with representation from the stakeholder groups.

Key Area # 3 – Access to Information

  • Description: One of the prime indicators of transparency and accountability is the willingness of the council to provide Access to Information through the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) that was enacted by Selangor. This is a crucial tool for people in Selangor given the overwhelming secrecy laws and policies that govern public administrations in Malaysia. Information is power and shall be a first step in empowering the public to provide insightful feedback and oversight to the council.
  • MyPJ Expectation
    • To create awareness of the specific implementation details of FOI procedures in MBPJ by providing the Standard Operating Procedures for request of Information, list of all FOI requests and their replies on the website.
    • To file test cases on important issues in PJ, and measure responsiveness of government, as well as push for greater civic space in shaping public policy.

Key Area #4 – Business Licenses & Procurement

  • Description: This is another area well known to be vulnerable to corrupt practices. The key element here is to cultivate a culture of business integrity and strong enforcement, in implementing rules and policies on licensing.
  • MyPJ Expectation:
    • MBPJ to make transparent data on businesses and types of license issued. Name / shame offenders on website.
    • Residents and small businesses should be engaged in dialogue facilitated by MBPJ to stem poor practices, and nip recurring problems.

Key Area #5 – Safe City

  • Description: It cannot be ignored that Malaysians’ daily concern is the high rates of crime in the neighborhood and we know that these are not isolated. We are also concerned on the public safety and public health in our city. Our governments, local, state and federal are passing that responsibility to Resident Associations and Rukun Tetangga but security and safety matters have come to a stage that it is actually beyond us.
  • MyPj expectations
    • Councillors, ADUN and MP’s as our representatives to take up that leadership in ensuring the local government, state government and federal government see SECURITY and SAFETY as their core responsibility
    • When issuing policies, planning and implementing programs, Safety and Security Impact Assessments have to be made mandatory
    • In the city of Petaling Jaya we urge MBPJ to focus on the following Security Impact Assesment on all development projects
    • Encouraging and easing small business as a means of softening economic pressures
    • Addressing issues related to urban poverty which has a direct impact on crimes
    • Take the matters of PUBLIC safety at construction sites, neighborhoods, public housing and public spaces as a matter of great concern.
    • Public Health be made a KPI for relevant directors and the mayor.

 

MyPJ will be forming individual task force consisting of qualified accountants, engineers, lawyers, city planners etc that will work together with councilors and MBPJ staff in a smart partnership to overcome the above issues.

 

 

PRESS STATEMENT RELEASE

Date:   30th June 2016 (Thursday)

Time:   12:30pm

Venue:

  • Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism
  • A-3-7 Avenue 8, Jalan Sungai Jernih 8/1
  • 46050 Petaling Jaya, Selangor

For more Information please contact:

  • Jeffrey Phang at 012-2347223
  • Cynthia Gabriel at 012-379218

 

LIST OF ENDORSERS

 COALITIONS

  • Coalition of Good Governance

NGOS

  • Friends of Kota Damansara
  • Friends of Kelana Jaya Park
  • Friends of Taman Aman
  • C4 – Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism

RESIDENT ASSOCIATIONS/RUKUN TETANGGA

  • RA Lengkuk Golf SS7
  • RA SS20 Central Zone
  • KRT SS20 Damansara Utama
  • RA D’Villa Equestrian
  • RA Selangor Polo and Equestrain Club
  • RA Section 13
  • KRT Taman Gasing Indah
  • KRT Damansara Utama (SS21) Zon C
  • KRT SS48
  • RA SS4C/4D
  • RT Sek22

Non-Government Individuals (NGI)

  • David Foo

MBPJ-Ex Councilors

  • Cynthia Gabriel
  • Richard Yeoh

Secretariat: Coalition of Good Governance

  • Website: www.my-pj.info
  • Email: mypj2016@gmail.com
  • Twitter: @taxpayerpj
  • Telephone: 012-2347223

 

 

PRESS ADVISORY/INVITATION

Of late there are many incidents that have occurred in Petaling Jaya that has made the residents and stakeholders of Petaling Jaya (PJ) increasingly concern about the development and safety of the city. The shoddy workmanship of road dividers, the death of an elderly gentleman whose car drove into a badly guarded pit, the fatalities of the one way loop, serial robberies and rape  in Gasing Indah.

Of concern is also “development by ambush” which continue to happen all over PJ with protracted battles with residents over the legality of the developments. Recent incidents that come to mind are the purportedly “approved” developments of the Kelana Jaya football field as well as the areas around the recreational lake of Taman Aman.

On 18th June 2016, the caring citizens of Petaling Jaya gathered to have their inaugural meeting where it is decided that structural and systemic changes are needed to ensure that the service delivery of MBPJ can be improved in a sustainable manner. It is also recognized that the problems facing MBPJ has evolved to be multi-faceted and can only be solve with active partnership with the public. The first meeting was a jointly organized by Coalition of Good Governance (CGG) and the Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4)

The group include one coalition OF NGOS, four NGOs and twelve Resident Associations. Some current and ex-MBPJ councilors have also joined in support of this MBPJ-Residents partnership.

My PJ had identified five key areas where professionals and experts from PJ residents had been identified to work with MBPJ.

Many years ago, the then Secretary General of United Nations Kofi Anan said “The people no longer want to be passive observers of development but they want to be active participants in jointly achieving Sustainable Development”.

This is a turning point where like minded PJ residents gather together not to “mourn and complain” but to enter into a constructive partnership with MBPJ to provide feedback and expertise to ensure that PJ truly is a Sustainable City that is Safe, Harmonious and Liveable.

We would like to cordially invite your news organisation to send a reporter to cover our Press Conference on:

  • Date:   30th June 2016 (Thursday)
  • Time:   12:30pm
  • Venue:
    • Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism
    • A-3-7 Avenue 8, Jalan Sungai Jernih 8/1
    • 46050 Petaling Jaya, Selangor