Their vision and mission as councillors - The Star

Jun 23, 2008 Comments recorded by JADE CHAN

Following are some of the views:

Transparency International executive director Richard Yeoh:

“As a civil society representative in the MBPJ, I will seek to ensure good governance, transparency and integrity are practised among the councillors and administration staff of the MBPJ.

“I will encourage the MBPJ to introduce globally-tested integrity monitoring and ethical training programmes for the councillors and staff so that everyone embraces a culture of ‘doing the right thing’ and ‘doing things right’.

“One way is for the city and local councils to collaborate with organisations that have expertise in the field such as Transparency International, Institut Integriti Malaysia, and even trade bodies such as Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers and the international chambers of commerce.

“After the March 8 general election, all sectors of our society, from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi downwards, are acutely conscious of the need to speed up the reform process in the public bureaucracy to further improve the delivery system.

“Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim has also repeatedly stressed the need for local councils to be more responsive to the people's needs.

“Policies and practices must be transparent so that the ratepayers get the level of service they deserve.

“The MBPJ being the first tier of government, a level that has daily, direct contact with the people, must ensure that the basic needs of the poor are met before even thinking of spending money on grand projects.”

Environment activist and lawyer Derek Fernandez:

“As a councillor, I will make sure all members of the MBPJ are aware that the decisions they make affect not only the parties involved, but also the PJ residents.

“Public interest has to be taken into account in every decision. This means that three parties are involved when making decisions, not just an applicant and the MBPJ, but also the public at large.

“The role of the local authority is to make sure, as far as possible, that the quality of life of the residents is enhanced so that they become happy, useful and productive citizens.

“This means that the people’s problems should be attended to in a reasonable manner. Things like dirty drains, garbage disposal, planning control, roads and other amenities must be maintained and provided in a manner befitting the expectations of residents within the budgetary constraints.

“It is also vital that the values of the people in the areas of family, religion, culture and education be upheld in the implementation of the policies of the PJ city council.”

Petaling Jaya Selatan PKR treasurer Latheefa Koya:

“As a councillor, my focus will be on areas neglected by the MBPJ and previous councillors, like Taman Medan and the stretch at Old Klang Road on the PJ side.

“These areas have many of problems, such as basic drainage, flooding and traffic congestion.

“Overall, I will also focus on the safety and cleanliness issues in PJ, as waste management is a serious problem.

“Crime problems are of personal concern to be because I was a victim of a car break-in.”

“As far as I am concerned, my term as a councillor is just a transitional period as I believe strongly that councillors should be elected. I hope that local elections will be restored as soon as possible.”

Kelana Jaya PKR Youth chief Halimey Abu Bakar:

“Among my main concerns as a councillor is to help solve the infrastructure and garbage disposal problems in the Seri Setia constituency, particularly in the Desa Mentar, Desa Ria and Kelana Jaya areas.

“There is also the flood problem, with SS7 being the worst hit area whenever there is a huge downpour.

“I would also highlight the need for more public amenities like recreational and religious spaces.”