Issues raised at the State Assembly

On behalf of the people of the Subang Jaya constituency, I have raised the following issues at the recent sitting of the Selangor State Legislative Assembly:

· Proposed 9 storey commercial development on Telekom land in USJ 6 (opposite True Fitness in Taipan) – I voiced my objections against this proposed development. Further to the public hearing held with the residents, I had written to the State Planning Committee requesting them to take serious consideration of the residents’ objections in view of the intended original purpose of the said land which is for Telekom Exchange and the deplorable and horrendous traffic congestion in that area. Despite recording our strong objections on this proposed development, the State Planning Committee approved the project. The State Planning Committee must reconsider its decision. Utility companies (Syabas, Telekom, etc) should not be allowed to commercially develop lands allocated for utilities.

· Free car park for the disabled community in Selangor – in November last year, my office organised a public forum for the disabled community of Subang Jaya. One of the many issues raised that day was the need for the State Government to extend the free car park service for the disabled community by MPSJ to all local councils in Selangor. I have echoed this request again in my speech. To our delight, the State Government has responded positively and free car park would be provided to all disabled applicants who are registered with Jabatan Kebajikan all across Selangor. Implementation date for this will be announced by the State Government soon.

· Local councils are to provide job opportunities for the disabled community. The disabled community possesses talents which can assist in the development of the state of Selangor.

· Local councils are to also take serious consideration of the needs of the disabled community in approving development orders. Ground floor units of flats or council homes should be reserved for the disabled community or senior citizens and the same should be made a condition in granting development orders.

· Lands are to be given to non-governmental organisations which provide care to the disabled, the under-privileged and senior citizens. Very often, they lack space to provide care for more individuals of these special groups.

· Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Selangor has previously approached me on the mistreatment of animals by the animal catchers/contractors at the respective local councils. I urged the State Government to do two things:

(i) to limit an animal catching contractor to only one local council to combat the unscrupulous practice of multiple claims by these contractors;
(ii) to appoint a representative from SPCA to sit in the appropriate sub-committees in each local council to ensure that the Department of Veterinary Services’ (DVS) Guidelines on Catching and Exterminating Stray Dogs (May 2008) are complied with when contractors catch stray dogs.

· In view of the economic crisis, I also urged each local council and all state agencies to avoid wastage of money on unnecessary spending. Souvenirs, goodie bags and food and drinks at functions can be avoided to save costs. Local councils should not waste money on unnecessary projects which do not benefit the residents at large. Such funds can instead be given to the underprivileged to assist them in surviving the economic crisis.

· Assessment rates are to be reduced for those who live in low and medium cost flats. This can assist in alleviating their burden especially when these residents are subjected to monthly service and maintenance charges by their respective apartments/flats in addition to the assessment fees by the local council.

· The State Government is to make available more funds to improve infrastructure in the urban areas in Klang Valley especially to tackle traffic woes. USJ 1 is in great need of an alternative access road to cope with the increased traffic and the State Government can also assist in providing funds for the building of an underpass at Persiaran Tujuan to SS19, thereby eliminating the need for the junction with traffic lights which has been identified as one of the key contributors to the backlog of traffic on Persiaran Tujuan.

· Selection of councillors is to be done more cautiously and the State Government is to only appoint councillors who have time to meet and serve the residents. Based on my observation, although each councillor in MPSJ has been given a laptop, there are still councillors who do not check and reply emails. Some do not even reply to sms’ and phone calls. These councillors must be replaced with appointees who have the passion of public service and possess the sincerity in serving the needs of the residents.

· Councillors should be afforded the option to helm the role of chairperson of Jawatankuasa Penduduk (JKP) and not automatically appointed as one. Councillors would be more effective serving as the advisor to JKPs instead of helming the JKP, the position of which can be instead be taken up by a resident. This way, councillors can focus more time on making and improving policies in local councils and this can also prevent conflict of interests.

· Local councils are to urgently gazette lands for recreational purpose/green lungs. This can curb land scams and will in turn protect recreational lands from being used for commercial developments.

· More training should be given to Commissioner of Buildings (COB) at local councils to handle matters pertaining to Joint Management Body (JMB).

· I also enquired on the status of investigation on the sale of Brisdale Holdings Berhad to GMB Construction Sdn Bhd for RM50,000 only, the matter of which I first brought to the attention of the State Legislative Assembly last year.

· The State Government is to demand an explanation from the Federal Government on the death of Kugan as this incident has taken place in Selangor.

In view of the economic crisis, I also submitted an emergency motion in the State Legislative Assembly urging the Federal Government to cooperate with the State Government in finding ways to help residents cope with the impact of the economic crisis. The motion was debated and passed.

In my speech, I urged the Federal Government to set up a government clinic in Subang Jaya. Currently there is none and residents have to travel to Kelana Jaya or Puchong for public medical assistance and treatment. Health care may not be affordable any longer to some residents here in view of the economic crisis.

I also urged the Kementerian Perumahan Dan Kerajaan Tempatan (KPKT) to be more diligent in monitoring abandoned housing projects. One such case is Lagoon Perdana in PJS 9, Bandar Sunway. We are still awaiting KPKT to call for further meetings for the developer to update all affected residents on the status of the 4 remaining blocks. Many residents are not able to cope with servicing their bank loans for an “invisible” house which they are not able to enjoy.

I also urged the Home Minister to focus more on strengthening the police force in such financially difficult times. The Home Minister should stop making use of the police force as tools to serve political interest. We need to improve resources such as patrol cars, manpower and equipment to cope with the rising demands and challenges especially in urban areas like Subang Jaya.

Finally, I also called for the release of YB Manoharan of Kota Alam Shah who is still detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA). His service is much needed by the residents of Kota Alam Shah to deal with local issues affecting them. In such difficult economic times as this, it is imperative that the government do not deprive the people of access to resources, and this includes access to their elected representative.