(Kuala Lumpur, Wednesday):  DAP Selangor strongly condemn arrogant statement from MPSJ President, Arif  when he asks unhappy owners no need to apply renew trade license if they refuse to sign pest-control contract with designated company.

Arif’s statement is also most disappointing. I had on 31^st July issued a press statement, among others which calls for transparency and accountability in which:

1. MPSJ to immediately suspend the implementation of this ruling until there is a clear and acceptable explanations from the council on this matter. The council should also explain when it enters into an agreement with a private consortium without consulting the taxpayers.
2. MPSJ to immediately reveal the contents of the contracts in order to avoid MPSJ from entering any unjust contract with any private entity which will cause damage to the council and the taxpayers.
3. MPSJ to immediately arrange for a three-party negotiation between the owners (the taxpayers), the consortium and the council to reach for a solution, so as to avoid innocent owners to sign any contract with the consortium without adequate consultations on what have happened behind.

The President’s statement has certainly deepened our worries that the President will not compromise. Such statement is actually a blatant disregard of elementary democratic principles. The President shall withdrawn his ignorant statement and at the same time gear up his effort to resolve the matter diplomatically by at least conducting an initial dialogue.

BN Councilors shall also at this time intervene and portray their ‘negotiation skills’. Looking at the attitude displayed by the Presideny, one will easily draw a conclusion that such skill has failed miserably while one does not actually know whether the councilors have ever tried it before.

Therefore, the councilors must start doing something and not keep remaining silent even though their councillorship is appointed and not elected because their allowances are paid by the taxpayers. It is their natural responsibility to serve the benefits of the people and not the other way round, the benefits of their immediate boss.

(02/08/2006)