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MBI should act fast and avoid its lackadaisical attitude towards complaints lodged by ratepayers   Media Statement by M Kula Segaran (Ipoh, Friday): For nearly a week, more than 500 residents of the Bercham flats were living in agony. This is because there was no rubbish collection whatsoever either by the so-called flat management committee or Majlis Bandaraya Ipoh(MBI). Thus yesterday, the Bercham flats committee chairman, Madam Lai Yoon Heong and the committee members made a call to the Mayor office to demand that action be taken to prevent further health problems by reason of non-collection of rubbish and gabbage. Due to the non-collection of rubbish and garbage, flies, maggots and other contagious disease carriers have begin to spread diseases. There has been report of dengue cases. The Mayor was not in but his secretary, En Rafie meet the committee members at the conference hall. As the meeting was progressing, En Rafie called the management Committee operator, En Syed to attend the meeting. Syed wanted ½  hour to come. He failed to come and the secretary promised follow up action.   Madam Lai and her committee in uncertain terms demanded that the MBI take immediate remedial action to clean up the garbage and rubbish, failing which the committee will bring all the refuse and leave it at the MBI office.   At 3 p.m. yesterday, the MBI team went to the Bercham flats and cleaned all refuse and rubbish. Today, En Rafie visited the Flats to see for himself the real problem. He meet En Syed who inform him that he will take necessary action to overcome the problem. The committee was not happy and urge that necessary action like issuing summons against him for allowing dangerous disease causing carriers to infest the flats.    En.Rafie was also offered tap water from the flats tap to drink but he refused because of unbearable stench plus the water does not look as though it could be consumed.    It is hoped that appropriate charges would be bought against En Syed and that waste and garbage collected from the flats regularly. Clean drinkable water supply should be made available to the flat dwellers immediately.   MBI should act fast and avoid its lackadaisical attitude towards complaints lodged by ratepayers. Ipoh needs a better people orientated city council which can provide services and all the essential necessaries without much bereaucracy and redtape. (5/12/2003) * M Kula Segaran, DAP Perak Secretary