Press Statement
by Lim Guan Eng

(Melaka, Thursday): Local authorities fail to provide good service to the people because appointed councilors that abuse their powers, are unprofessional and misuse public funds can not be sacked or removed from office. The poor state of administration in local authorities has never been so grave until Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk M. Kayveas criticized them as “triads” operating secretively as mere rubber stamps.

Yesterday in Parliament, Datuk Kavyeas went one step further when he said that corruption in local government councils were the main reason why Malaysia’s position in Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index(CPI) dropped from No. 37 in 2003 to No. 39 in 2004. The need for restoration locally elected councils has never been so critical, not only to improve service, restore democracy and accountability but to reduce corruption locally and nationally. 

The appointed Majlis Bandaraya Melaka Bersejarah(MBMB) councilors, who attacked the DAP for our criticisms of their poor performance, should realize that they do not have the support of the people and their own BN Deputy Ministers. On the RM 4.5 million Bandaraya Mall in front of the council headquarters in Ayer Keroh modeled after India’s famous Taj Mahal, foreign tourists would prefer to go to India to see the original version and not the imitation or “celup” version here.

Isn’t this a waste of money when RM 4.5 million could be better spent on better drainage or roads to prevent persistent flooding and fight the dengue epidemic threatening the lives, safety and health of Malaccans? Similarly if not for the pressure exerted by the DAP on councilors who abuse their power, would MCA Councilors such as Lim Siew Wan pay up the assessment arrears of RM 14,000?

MBMB had even wanted to deduct her RM 500 monthly councilor allowance to pay up the arrears which means that it would take 28 months. This is not only double-standards but unlawful as the Local Government Act 1976 provides that the property can be sealed if the arrears are not paid after the required notice is given.

Similarly DAP had exposed UMNO MBMB Councilor Hj Md Sani bin Jantan as owing MBMB RM 41,000 for nearly two years of rental for a kiosk in Hang Tuah Mall. Following DAP’s expose, he resigned as a Councilor but no action was taken by MBMB to take back the kiosk or recover the rental owed. Isn’t there conflict of interest that a councilor can rent a MBMB kiosk and owe rental without any action taken?

Worse, Majlis Perbandaran Alor Gajah recently secretly went to China for a junket holiday costing the public RM 66,000/- without meeting a single local government official and instead was shown around by a paid tourist guide. To make local councils open, accountable, transparent in their performance, DAP has conducted a nation-wide Restore the 3^rd Vote Campaign. DAP is not surprised that BN-appointed local councilors oppose this campaign because with their poor performance, wastage of public funds and abuse of power, MBMB councilors would be rejected by the people in the elections.