Details of Seberang Perai Municipal Council’s (MPSP) shocking RM 223.7 million losses in reserve funds over nine years from 2000 to 2008 are revealed together with significant development expenditures. The public shall judge whether such expenditures benefited public interest or is just another sad example of BN’s cronyism, mismanagement and money politics. From an accumulated surplus of RM 230.1 million at 1.1.2000 to only a budgeted surplus of only RM 6.4 mllion at 31.12.2008, RM 223.7 million has been lost over 9 years.
Penang Gerakan chairman Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan. who is also former state local government and traffic management committee chairman, claimed that the money was used for major and small local community projects to benefit the people such as:
· cleanliness campaigns, anti-mosquitoe programmes and landscaping,
· building of two big markets in Kepala Batas and Kampung Baru, Bukit Mertajam,
· multi-purpose hall in Butterworth, two modern sports complexes in Kepala Batas and Jalan Betik, Bukit Mertajam,
· acquisition of land for infrastructure development, building sanitary landfill in Pulau Burung, Seberang Perai Selatan (SPS) due to closing of dumping site at Ampang Jajar; and
· extra expenditure on house-to-house collection of solid wastes from thrice weekly to four times a week.
The public shall judge whether MPSP spent its money prudently and built according to specifications, whether these projects were necessary and if so whether they achieved their purpose. More importantly, is the question whether a cheaper alternative could be found such as the RM 84.3 million spent on building the new MPSP headquarters in Bandar Perda despite the state government having allocated to MPSP a 30 acre site in Ampang Jajar.
Other contentious items are the “constituency funding” of RM 50.3 million ( RM 300,000 yearly given to each BN ADUN in Seberang Perai) and MPSP councillors(RM 8.6 million) amounting to RM 59 million which is no different from money politics as the roads are still filled with potholes and drains blocked. Also the RM 70,000 per month or over RM 800,000 spent per year on air-conditioning charges of the MPSP HQ to a company given without open public tender.
Clearly MPSP’s coffers were depleted by wasteful and irresponsible spending that only benefited the few cronies of BN at the expense of the general public. If Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan is willing to support the Penang state government principles of CAT(Competence,Accountability and Transparency), he should explain the necessity of these contentious items such as the expensive MPSP headquarters and other buildings, the cost-effectiveness and benefits of RM 59 million in funds used at the discretion of BN ADUNs and MPSP Councillors as well as the over-priced bills for air-condtioning of the MPSP HQ.
YAB Lim,
From the article, I can justify that MPSP spend a lot of money last few years. But I am not sure whether they spend it wisely and directly benefit the general public.
Constituency fund reach RM50.3 million, this is a huge amount if really benefit to Malaysian, I am proud to stay in Malaysia. Can they accountable for the spending? If yes, Datuk Dr. Teng, please explain to us.
For RM 70,000 charges for air-conditioning, how many air-cord that actual use, if 70,000 units should be acceptable since only RM1/unit. RM 70,000 can’t tell me anything. I think in Penang alone there is plenty of air-cond shop who can support the maintenance, if the current charge expensive, change it simple as ABC.
YAB Lim, how do your goodself plan to budget the spending for the whole Penang in coming 2009? I like your CAT very very much, I think Federal government and others state should fellow to the mission of CAT.
If the budget for 2009 is not under OSA, please review it to the general public. Moreover I would like to know in the future all government works will be open tender?
I think all the municipal council should have their own Key Performance Index (KPI), I do not expect yesterday drain blocked, today Pakatan Rakyat become government the drain become wider and out of rubbish. The local municipal council should fellow up the matter in 1-2 months, we should learn from Singapore government, all the government department have their own KPI.
If you need assist in come out the KPI, I am more than willing to help on that.
Keep up your good work Pakatan Rakyat.
Instead of keep firing on “ex-government did a lousy job”, can current CAT government just concentrating on performing their own job well?
Almost everyday, every article that I can read from newspaper, still condemning, condemning, condemning ex-goverment and Barisan.. it’s a dissapointment, whenever I see this, bcos effort and time are required when they are doing this….
Although, I understand that disclose some ugly past info will help public to know the fact. But, in actual fact, that does not help to contribute. That will only help to make Gerakan looks more ugly. But, how does this benefit Penangites?
This sword has double edge, it also deteriorates DAP reputation in Penang.
As a Penangite, my opinion is that: Why not they just put all, I mean ALL, their effort into more positive job? In Penang, you are not opposition anymore!!!!
you are the government!!!!
Stop acting like opposition, do that only at Dewan Rakyat!!!!
Suddenly think of an anologue of this: If you are a boyfriend/girlfriend(bf/gf) of somebody (SBD), would you keep condemning their ex on every issues? will you think this makes SBD feels happy? Even if the ex is really terrible, most of the ppl don’t really want to keep looking back. What we all want, is better future!
The only reason of “looking back” is to learn from mistake. But this learning, is not required to be announced to the public. I suppose this is the job that is to be done by governor (All ADUN)?
Love Penang, very very much..
cs, I think it is important to highlight that this is the previous administration’s big blunder. And the public deserves to know about it.
It is one of steps in the process of recovering the big losses.
Do you think by exposing this big sins of the BN govt will absolve Pakatan’s govt responsibility to “heal” the MPSP? No, they have to work hard to clean up the BN shit.
i think Chief Minister should not only concentrate on tackling present issues but should also continue to dig out the past wrong doings by the previous admin , take those guilty to task , show those goons & thugs, Pakatan means real business not monkey/funky biz…….since Pakatan (DAP) had adopted CAT model , Pakatan should practise what they had preached.
Thank You.