(Ipoh, Monday):  The Majlis Bandarraya Ipoh (MBI) has officially announced that the proposed coupon parking system would be introduced for all the 12,000 parking bays replacing the present parking meters.

We are given to understand that the MBI has only as recent as last month bought more then 3000 coin slotting parking meters form another City Council for an unverified sum of RM500, 000.

Further the second hand meters are being installed all over the Ipoh City area. Of late it has been installed at the Silibin area and along the Ipoh Police head quarters road. There is a few hundred more coin operated meters, which are unlikely to be installed before the coupon system comes into operation on 1st September 2006.

It is also reliably learnt that all the newly installed parking meters would be removed by 1st January 2007 so that the new coupon system could be implemented.

We have 22 appointed local councilors who are to act as custodians of the public monies of the ratepayers of Ipoh. Why did the local councilors allowed the purchase of the coin-operated parking meters in the mist of the impending implementation on the new coupon parking system? The question is who decided to purchase this coin operated meters and why the sudden “U” turn to implement the coupon type system?

Some thing is not right? The ratepayers’ interest has been abused. Public monies are being wasted. The local councilors are duty bound to accountable to the ratepayers as to why they have allowed all this inconsistent acts to take place.

The State Urban and Local Government Committee Chairman Datuk Chang must state whether he had consented to the ordering of the coin operated meters just as the MBI is on the verge of implementing the new coupon parking system from 1stSeptember06. If so why did he decide so? If he is not aware we demand that Datuk Chang take necessary action on any one who is responsible for this fiasco!

In any case the local councilors need to call for an emergency full board meeting of the local council to discuss this matter and if the need be to take necessary action against any wrong doers.

On 25th July 2006 when the newly appointed Mayor clocked in for work he told reporters that the councils first priority would be its core business of rubbish collection and keeping the grass cut and drains clean. We welcome this back to basics approach. At the same time we want the Datuk Bandar to keep up his promise with action as the DAP would closely monitor his performance.

Over and above the above promise the Datuk Bandar should also ensure that in the discharge of public duties the local councilors and the MBI officers are clean and honest. This is good opportune time for him to thoroughly investigate the necessity to purchase coin operated meters now when the coupon system would be implemented in 24 days!

I had the occasion to meet the Mayor on Tuesday and I did point out to him that the MBI must at all times act in the best interest of the rate payers of Ipoh. The DAP would at the same time assist him if the conduct and action were for the benefit of the ratepayers of Ipoh. I told him in no uncertain terms that we would not allow any wrong doings and scandals involving any impropriety by the MBI or its officers.

Some of these parking meters were only installed in 2004 at the costs of RM34, 000 a meter. Even the warranty period for these meters has not expired. In fact RM 6.38 million were spent to install 200 of the Australian made Reino meters in 2002-2003. Have we recovered the amount of monies spent to buy these meters? Why the rush to replace with a new system.

We now believe that the Datuk Bandar has to take a serious relook and investigate on the reasons for the recent purchase of the coin operated meters. Why buy these meters when it would be dismantled by 1st January 2007? Who tend to gain from all this? Why the ratepayers have to be the losers?

(07/08/2006)