(Petaling Jaya, Friday): Two years ago, MPPJ (now MBPJ) was caught red-handed allowing its sports club to collect donations from all outdoor advertising companies as a pre-requisite for the application of advertising permits.

After a police report was made by me (on behalf of DAP PJ) based on a press report, the YDP of the then MPPJ ordered the illegitimate practice to stop.

But MBPJ did not learn their lesson from that embarrassing episode. They have since continued to make many blunders in the process of awarding advertising permits to outdoor advertising companies.

Many questions are still unanswered in the "City of Billboards" fiasco.

The All Petaling Jaya Pro Action Committee (APPAC), which represents over 30 residents associations and NGOs, lodged two police reports in June, stating that the MBPJ’s decision to give Seni Jaya monopoly over 172 billboards in PJ goes against the Local Government Act 1976.

The company had guaranteed revenue of only RM492, 000 over 15 years, which is way too low. It is estimated that in the Klang Valley alone, the outdoor advertising industry is worth at least RM100 million.

This has prompted the publicity secretary of Selangor DAP and DAP PJ Action Team chairman Lau Weng San to lodge a police report on the same grounds.

MBPJ has chosen to belittle and ignore the residents. They obviously don't think that APPAC and the DAP PJ Action Team would be able to cause much of a stir or rattle the council and its administration. 

It's sad to note too that none of the Members of Parliament or state assemblymen in Petaling Jaya have come out openly to support PJ residents.  Their silence is deafening and will inevitably lead PJ residents to believe that they are on MPBJ's side.

Could it be because they all used to and will continue to get free advertising space for their election campaign billboards?

Thanks to HRH Sultan of Selangor, who was apparently upset with the billboard fiasco, PJ residents now seem to have a chance of victory in this battle. The Sultan has openly demanded an explanation from MBPJ.

Following the Sultan's intervention, Selangor MB Khir Toyo, who has been keeping mum all this while, was forced to respond by suggesting that the state may only consider electronic billboards in the future in efforts to reduce the number of billboards scattered all over major townships in the state. He said he would not act until he gets a report from MBPJ -- a typical answer from the most powerful man in Selangor.

Under such intense pressure, the city's mayor Ahmad Termizi Puteh then quickly did a complete U-turn by announcing that he had rejected the application for the 172 billboards by Seni Jaya. He said the approval earlier was given only "in principle".

The question is, is he telling the truth?

From the stacks of documents and letters we received from an anonymous party, we found many examples of questionable conduct and wrongdoing on the part of MBPJ.

Here are some of the facts. It looks like MBPJ has some explaining to do...

• In a letter dated 30 Jun 2005, Seni Jaya Sdn Bhd was given 7 days to take down seven (7) unlicensed billboards.

• In a letter dated 8 July 2005, Seni Jaya was again given 7 days to take down another forty seven (47) unlicensed billboards.

• In a letter dated 16 December 2005, Seni Jaya was informed by the YDP of MBPJ that he had approved their application for outdoor advertising in principle.

• In a letter dated 2 March 2006, Seni Jaya was given the approval for 172 units of billboards (including those given to other operators earlier on).

From the above letters, Seni Jaya had clearly obtained a monopoly from MBPJ for the 172 units of billboards, including those 54 units which were ruled as illegal by MPPJ earlier. Therefore, the claims made by the Outdoor Advertising Association of Malaysia (OAAM) and APPAC are true.

It also goes to show that what is considered 'illegal' could become 'legal' overnight with no justification by the council.

Apart from the 172 billboards which were deemed to be illegal and were to be taken down, there are several hundred other unlicensed billboards all over Petaling Jaya. It was reported widely in the press recently that only 282 out of 800 billboards erected in PJ were licensed by MBPJ.

That's not all. MBPJ recently issued a stop-work order for a pedestrian bridge approved by the Public Works Department. Why did MBPJ not stop the construction of unlicensed billboards in PJ with the same vigour? Why were they so lenient with these errant operators?

Will MBPJ take stern action to remove the illegal billboards immediately, or will they pretend nothing has happened and continue to allow these advertising companies to operate?  And who should be responsible for the loss of revenue (in the form of licensing fees) to the tune of several million ringgit?

If Seni Jaya and other outdoor advertising companies start taking MBPJ to courts for breach of contract, who will be paying for the compensation in the event that MBPJ loses the case?

If the mayor and councilors are not paying out of their own pockets, why should taxpayers pay for the blunders made by these irresponsible servants of the government?

Most of these billboards stand on government lands, which are under the jurisdiction of the Land Office. Why has the Land Office not taken any action against the MBPJ or the concessionaires?

The billboard fiasco is a consequence of a serious lack of transparency, accountability and poor governance. The scandal has strengthened our legitimate call for the restoration of local government elections.

DAP PJ Action Team will attempt to get to the bottom of the matter and reserves the right to bring those responsible to book in the interest of PJ residents and taxpayers.