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
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