Thursday, November 12, 2009

Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007

Media Conference by YB Wong Kah Woh, the State Assemblyman for Canning and the DAP Perak Publicity Secretary at DAP Perak Headquarter, Ipoh on 12.11.2009 (Thursday):

The State Assemblyman for Canning, YB Wong Kah Woh today reveals that the Perak Barisan Nasional had as early as in April 2009 resolved and agreed to adopt the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007 despite the fact that the Act may eventually turned out to be another “IndahWater” haunting the Rakyats.

In order to protect the Rakyats’ benefits and interest, the Pakatan Rakyat State Government had in the State Assembly sitting last November confirmed in no uncertain terms that the Government is not going to adopt the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007 which was passed by the BN’s Federal Government in July 2007 and gazetted on 30.08.2007.

Under the Act, all the public cleansing management services which shall include the cleansing of public roads, public places, public drains, hawker centres, illegally dumped solid waste, grass cutting etc will go under the purview of the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation. Any person or body who wish to manage or operate any solid waste management facilities or provide any forms of public cleansing management service shall hold a license granted under the Act.

The concession of rights of monopoly for public cleansing in Penisular Malaysia is granted in favour of 3 companies only, that is E Idaman Sdn Bhd, Alam Flora Sdn Bhd and Southern Waste Management Sdn Bhd. As a result of the implementation of this Act, all the existing contractors for garbage collection, grass cutting and drain cleaning in Perak shall register and tender for contract with E Idaman Sdn Bhd and the Local Authority is also to sell off and hand over the lorries and equipments to the concessioner company, which for sure will lead to a round of losses.

The solid waste and public cleansing management will be directly controlled by the private company so appointed, in the case of Perak, E Idaman Sdn Bhd. The elected representatives and the councilors will no longer have any decisive say in changing and replacing the underperforming contractors. By having a private company monopolizing the service, it is also inevitable that the cost borne by the Local Authority will definitely increase, and the burden will eventually be shifted to the Rakyats.

Can anyone imagine, the Rakyat even have to pay for the “Gotong-Royongs” organized by the Rakyats together with the concessioner company!

Clearly, the Barisan Nasional had taken the benefits of the cronies companies above the Rakyat’s interest.

It is ridiculous where the duty of the Local Authority in solid waste and public cleansing are totally taken away by a concessioner company. All are to be reminded that the origin of Ipoh Municipal Council was known as Kinta Sanitary Board. It is also to be noted that under Section 30 of the Act, the charges for solid waste and public cleansing services could be imposed on any occupier, owner, Local Authority or any other person. This simply means that apart from paying the yearly assessments, the Rakyat may have to pay for the services for public cleansing services. It may not start today but this could happen anytime after the implementation of the Act. The second “IndahWater” has come, haunting the Rakyat!



Until today, the existing Local Authority’s contractors are unable to submit their tender to the Local Authority due to the adoption by Barisan Nasional of the Act. It is only 1 ½ months left for year 2009. There will be a big question mark whether the tender process can get through in order to ensure an uninterrupted service for the Rakyat. Is Barisan Nasional willing to bear the responsibilities?

The latest news seems to suggest that the Perak Barisan Nasional had yet to execute the agreements for solid waste and public cleansing management. However, by the fact that the Barisan Nasional’s Executive Council had agreed for the adoption of the Act, it is only a question of time before the whole Act is being implemented. After the grabbing of power in Perak, the Barisan Nasional had not only unable to continue the implementation of the good policies such as the freehold titles policy and the lands for Chinese Independent school, and now , they have totally forgotten the interest of the Rakyat and opted to adopt and implement the Act.

Barisan Nasional owes the Rakyat of Perak an explanation over this issue.




WONG KAH WOH
State Assemblyman for Canning
Dated this 12.11.2009

《2007年固体废料及清洁管理法令》

民主行动党桂和区州议员兼霹雳州宣传秘书黄家和律师于2009年11月12日(星期四)在霹雳州行动党总部新闻发布会上所发表的声明:

(怡保12日讯)民主行动党桂和区州议员黄家和律师揭露,霹雳州国阵已经早在今年4月同意实行《2007年固体废料及清洁管理法令》,典当霹雳州子民的利益!

也是行动党霹雳州宣传秘书的黄家和今天在一项新闻发布会上表示,去年霹雳州民联政府在州议会中的答复显示,基于保障州子民的利益,霹雳州民联政府拒绝接纳以及落实由国阵联邦政府在2007年7月通过、并在同年8月30日获得在宪报上颁布的《2007年固体废料及清洁管理法令》。

黄氏说,在该法令的实行下,州内的废料处理,包括任何公共地方的清洁工作、家居垃圾处理、沟渠清理、野草割剪等原本在地方政府范围内的工作,将会交由在法令下成立的废料处理机构全权处理,而任何其他机构包括地方政府或者人士在没有获得该法定机构的准证下进行废料处理,将会面对法令下的罚款。

黄氏表示,目前大马半岛只有3家公司,也就是E Idaman Sdn Bhd, Alam Flora Sdn Bhd 以及Southern Waste Management Sdn Bhd获得经营权,垄断整个固体废料处理服务。在这个情况下,霹雳州地方政府原有的承包商将必须向E Idaman Sdn Bhd注册以及投标合约,而地方政府本身也必须将原有垃圾罗里等工具变卖给它们,当中肯定蒙受不小的损失。

“在这个情况下,整个固体废料服务将由完全朋党公司垄断以及操控,而民选议员以及市议员对于任何没有表现的承包商却不再拥有任何的鞭挞以及决定权。届时,地方政府必须付钱给垄断服务的公司,必须承担费用的提高务必在所难免,如果地方政府财务无法负荷,最终将转移到人民的身上,而甚至人民要求任何形式的‘分工合作’Gotong Royong运动,也不再是免费的。这显示国阵再度将朋党的利益凌驾人民利益至上。”

黄氏说,整个概念是如其的荒谬,法令全面的落实将会使到地方政府的责任完全由私营公司取代。更加严重的是,在该法令第30条文下,可能被征收费用的对象包括任何地方政府以及任何人士,所以人民日后可能在缴纳门牌税的同时还必须承担额外的废料处理费用,成为第2个英达丽水排污费。

黄氏表示,据他了解,由于国阵要落实这项法令,所有的地方政府承包商已经开始不能向地方政府提出任何的投标,在2009年只剩下1个半月的时间,投标程序是否能够完成并确保2010年所有地方政府承包商如常提供服务将是一大疑问。

“虽然有消息指出霹雳州国阵暂时还没有真正签署固体废料合约,但是在国阵州行政议会同意落实该法令后,法令的落实已经是时间上的问题。黄氏抨击道,在夺权后的9个月来,国阵不但没有延续永久地契、以地养校等政策,反而妄顾州子民利益在夺权后接纳《2007年固体废料及清洁管理法令》,令人失望!”


民主行动党
桂和区州议员
黄家和律师
2009年11月12日