Latest news with #KajangMunicipalCouncil
Malay Mail
7 days ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
Four councils and a parking conundrum
JULY 17 — The staff scream over the kopitiam's boisterous lunch crowd, 'Parking, bayar parking.' Patrons speed-punch their apps to avoid a fine, 50 sen an hour. But they would rather not. Nobody wants to pay for parking if they can. They play the game. They know the terrain. No enforcement when it rains, and only x-number of enforcement officers for x-number of spots from one end of Batu 9 Cheras around MRT Taman Suntex to Alam Jaya with its migrant hovels. Everyone plays. No one quits. But let's forget this Cheras which sits inside Kajang Municipal Council. To the other 11 councils in Selangor. There's company from a company which found a company Subang Jaya City Council, Petaling Jaya City Council, Shah Alam City Council and Selayang Municipal Council by state exco edict are to start parking bay management partnerships with a company — Rantaian Mesa Sdn Bhd — which belongs to Selangor government's company, Mentri Besar Incorporated (MBI), which then arranges terms with a selected company based on an open tender to assist with parking. Yes, an accountant's wet-dream. The selected company is set to invest up to RM200 million to enable technologies to upgrade parking management, ostensibly 1,800 functioning CCTVs and other unspecified gizmos not limited to apps and servers. The four councils manage enforcement, meaning the dudes and dudettes with tech tools supplied by the unnamed company walk in the sun — not rain, never rain — and issue errant vehicle owners old-fashioned tickets printed from said machines. The company takes half the proceeds. MBI for its troubles to order councils, locate the unnamed company and for its spectacular name gets a tenth of receipts. For merely the pay and supervision of enforcement officers, local councils gobble up the remaining 40 per cent. Nobody wants to pay for parking if they can. They play the game. They know the terrain. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin The unnamed company surely needs to rake in on average RM20 million and some per year from the four councils in total for 10 years to be profitable. I had a workshop on the power of council residents over their councils on five parking lots last Sunday, in one of the councils under scrutiny. The irony is not lost on me. The current pickle, about council parking arrangements, misses two pertinent things. Better lives, ask the living One, to ask what is the purpose of council parking. Councils are not corporations, they are local governments. Corporations owe it to their stockholders to produce a profit to justify the investment. Councils represent the residents and carry their will, right or wrong. Council parking is about resource management. There are busy, busier and busiest areas, the parking needs differ on that basis. Council needs to find the right balance to accommodate residents and their vehicles. More bays, less bays. Presumably, when council approved the development, they factored parking needs based on density. The higher purpose is to ensure better liveability. Parking fees are not income streams for councils, they are working capital to maintain facilities. Managing private vehicles inside council zones, whether mobile or stationary, is not exclusively about council parking bays and the collection of fees for occupying them. Rather a confluence of traffic volume, private parking (malls, buildings and open-air sites) availability and range of public transportation and connectivity, dictate how to go about the task. To make the town or city liveable, that it is beneficial for the people. It amazes that the most obvious part of the situation is least mentioned. Second, the glaring missing part, the people of Subang Jaya, Petaling Jaya, Shah Alam and Selayang — Amcorp through Kinrara to Templer's Park — are not asked. The state's politicians and the councils' civil servants happily traverse meeting after meeting avoiding the people they govern. Almost like the rakyat are incidentals to manage not the direct bosses to solicit approval from. The two million people in these four councils are to live what those with power decide. Cat and mouse state Which leads us back to the noisy and unkempt kopitiam in Cheras, the boondocks for those corporate sorts who run unnamed companies which diligently win open tenders through companies belonging to the people who are elected to up the quality of life not increase the profit motive in government. Yes, not only food-courts are chaotic. Why do these people refuse to pay more than they have to, to the council they own? After all, what the council earns, it redistributes it to the people. Perhaps design short term parking structures commensurate to needs. Redirect to public transportation to reduce city clogs. Clamp down on unnecessary development which stretches the council's resources — half-filled council shops, next to half-filled private developments. In theory, the money channelled for the public good. But the facts are, the residents in Cheras just like in USJ, Kota Kemuning, Kelana Jaya and Batu Caves are sceptical about their local councils and their state government. Their sen soon becomes the council's sen. Full stop. They do not believe council wants to make things better or that it cares about what they actually think about their council. The 12 councils want to have the least number of us involved in their decision making. They manage us like a children's party, outcomes not process. The current storm in a teacup about parking concessionaires only underlines the reality Selangor folks experienced since whenever, they are stakeholders and not stockholders in the current arrangement. This is not to say it is considerably better outside the Klang Valley. It's probably far more dire. Penang folks might point to the marked improvements since the fall of Gerakan in 2008. True enough, but that is a function of a largely benevolent state government at a time of economic resurgence, and not evidence of process. What does Penang do if the wrong people take over and they have no process to protect themselves? Inventing excuses since 1963 Selangor folks are similar in that the state's economic growth renders unrepresented local governments less consequential. It does however give the state and civil servants ample latitude to privatise commercial components for mutual benefit. Trust drives behaviour. Selangor's residents reluctantly pay their councils, whether for parking or quit rent. The 2008 changes when Pakatan took over Selangor are present, but they are an ocean away from actual power determined by the people of Selangor inside their 12 councils. The parking concessionaire kerfuffle only illustrates it further. Even now, Selangor won't name the company selected, just that it deals with Rantaian Mesa. There is a lack of goodwill in evolving things to raise the voice of the people through the local councils. There are excuses galore including that the people are not ready to take the lead. That's the thing about excuses, they are readily available. Reminds me of how I was taught. Do a thing for a reason, do not find a reason to do a thing. The thinking order changes more than one can imagine. Because with a fair bit of education, like what those who run state governments and civil servants who run councils possess, excuses are the easiest things to generate. So, they excuse their way to things and forget the people. Meanwhile, the rakyat just help each other out, in the smallest ways like scream when they see parking enforcers who do not look like Rita. Save their sen from the councils which contain them.
Daily Express
27-06-2025
- General
- Daily Express
Spaghetti in the alley? Restaurant video triggers inspection
Published on: Friday, June 27, 2025 Published on: Fri, Jun 27, 2025 Text Size: Stills from the video. - Social media KUALA LUMPUR: A viral video showing a worker preparing spaghetti in a dirty alley has drawn criticism and prompted a health inspection at a restaurant in Cheras, Selangor, WeirdKaya reported. The 42-second clip, shared to a Facebook group on Wednesday (June 25), showed the worker stirring spaghetti in a metal pot next to a pile of rubbish comprising plastic bags, cardboard and Styrofoam boxes. At one point, the worker was seen using his fingers to check if the spaghetti was cooked, prompting the netizen to label the practice 'extremely unhygienic' and announce plans to report it to the authorities. Following the public outcry, Kajang Municipal Council officers and health officials visited the restaurant but found the premises clean and compliant with health regulations. Councillor Dickson Tan Tee Guan told China Press the eatery scored 93 points (Grade A) in hygiene, with no cooking activity observed in the back alley during the inspection. Tan noted the staff were vaccinated against typhoid, wore hats and aprons, and had completed food handling courses, so no enforcement action was taken. However, he acknowledged the possibility that the restaurant had cleaned up the area after the video went viral, while the restaurant issued an apology and pledged to cooperate fully with any further investigations. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
The Star
12-06-2025
- General
- The Star
Reek of fly-tipping hits Hulu Langat
ILLEGAL dumping of rubbish is a problem with no end in Selangor's Kajang municipality. Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj) president Nazli Taib said that while hotspots like Bukit Mahkota Cheras, Sungai Purun and Sungai Serai were under close surveillance by the local council, catching illegal dumpers remained a cat-and-mouse game. Aside from these known illegal dumping sites in Kajang are pocket areas where contractors sneak in to dispose of waste. Nazli described efforts to shut down illegal dumping grounds in Kajang as an uphill struggle. 'If we close site A, they open site B. If we close site B, they open site C,' he said. Describing the persistent nature of the problem, he said monitoring was difficult as many dumping sites laid deep within forested areas on state or private land. One new dumping site has been discovered along the scenic Jalan Sungai Tekali in Hulu Langat. Lorries have been seen entering a dirt path off the main road, which leads to an illegal dump site on private land. Jalan Sungai Tekali, a favourite spot in the Klang Valley for road cyclists and mountain biking enthusiasts, offers breathtaking views. The road leads to Sungai Tekala Recreational Forest, a tranquil nature retreat known for its clear river waters, waterfalls and picnic spots. However, the area's pristine beauty has been plagued by an unpleasant odour, causing concern among residents, cyclists and nature lovers. Michael James, who lives in a nearby residential area, said the odour seemed to be coming from a plot of land along Jalan Sungai Tekali, and he had seen many lorries moving in and out of an access road. 'I use this road often for recreational purposes,' he said. 'It is a beautiful place, especially in the mornings and evenings. 'But lately, there is a bad smell. 'Besides activity on that land, there is nothing new happening in the area,' said James. Cyclists taking part in Bukit Antu Loop 2025, a national-level road bike championship on April 19 and 20, also got a whiff of the stench during their ride. Cyclist Dr Norhasmat Abdul Aziz said he was assailed by the bad smell and wondered where it emanated from. 'I am at Jalan Sungai Tekali almost every weekend and enjoy my ride because of the beautiful natural view. 'It is sad that there is a stench disrupting the otherwise great riding experience,' he said. Massive land clearing During a check, StarMetro witnessed lorries with roll-on, roll off (RoRo) bins moving in and out of the access road leading to a site barricaded with hoarding. Obscured by trees and foliage on both sides of the road, the illegal dumpsite is not clearly visible from Jalan Sungai Tekali. However, drone footage showed that a massive land area has been cleared for what appears to be an active fly-tipping site, with many lorries sighted on the compound. Nazli said the local council was aware of the illegal activity at the site. He said MPKj found ongoing illegal activities there during a check last month. To prevent lorries from accessing the site, MPKj dug a trench at the entrance in an attempt to block the entry of vehicles. However, this has proven futile, he said. Nazli said Hulu Langat District and Land Office was empowered by the National Land Code to confiscate the land as it was being used as a dumpsite. 'The land office can issue rectification notices and confiscate land if landowners fail to comply. 'Taxpayers' money cannot be used to reinstate private land. 'But once the land is government-owned, MPKj can allocate funds for cleanup, with possible government assistance,' he said when met at Menara MPKj in Kajang. Nazli said lorries were allowed to freely enter and exit land with individual titles, provided they were not trespassing and there were no complaints from landowners. However, he said MPKj would act based on complaints received. 'Public tip-offs help, but lack of photographic evidence makes action difficult. 'One of the methods that MPKj uses to control illegal dumping sites is by stationing enforcement officers at the entrance daily to prevent lorries from entering. 'But the method is not sustainable. 'MPKj has 150 enforcement officers to oversee the whole of Kajang, a 78,000ha area with 40% green lung,' he said. Nazli said landowners often claimed ignorance, saying that they were unaware of illegal activity on their land. He is aware, however, that some landowners allow rubbish dumping on their land for their own reasons. 'MPKj has been actively investigating complaints. 'What the council can do is confiscate the lorries involved in illegal dumping activities. 'Lorry owners will be slapped with a maximum compound of RM1,000 under Waste Collection, Removal and Disposal By-Laws 2007. 'MPKj also charges confiscation fees of RM5,500 each and the lorries will only be released after a month,' he said. He added that 35 lorries had been confiscated so far this year. Nazli said MPKj was looking forward to working together with the land office to tackle illegal dumping. Hulu Langat District and Land Office had yet to comment at press time. Some of the illegal dumping grounds that MPKj managed to close for good include sites located in Taman Universiti, Taman Pusara Twin Palms and Bukit Ampang. The local council sees Twin Palms as one of the greatest achievements in its battle against illegal dumping. Economy Ministry allocated RM2mil to rehabilitate the privately owned land, which was believed to have been used as an illegal dumping ground for more than a decade. The giant dumpsite caused great discomfort to nearby residents, especially Bukit Suria and Taman Taming Indah folk. StarMetro reached out to the state government for comments on addressing the ongoing illegal dumping of waste in Selangor but did not receive a response at press time. In a Bernama report on Feb 24 titled 'Hefty Fine and Jail Time Await Illegal Waste Offenders in Selangor', Selangor local government and tourism committee chairman Datuk Ng Suee Lim spoke of a dire need to strengthen waste management regulations to tackle illegal dumping. He had said that negotiations between the state and Federal government on ratifying Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007 (Act 672) in Selangor were still ongoing. 'If the Act was enforced, individuals involved in illegal waste disposal in Selangor could face fines of up to RM100,000 and a minimum of five years in prison,' he was reported as saying.
The Star
26-05-2025
- The Star
Council spends RM50,000 putting out fire at illegal dumpsite in Kajang
Authorities took three days to put out the fire at Sungai Purun. Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj) spent about RM50,000 to extinguish a fire that broke out at an illegal dumping site in Sungai Purun on May 9. MPKj president Nazli Md Taib said it took three days to put out the blaze. 'We were alerted by nearby residents and immediately contacted the Fire and Rescue Department for assistance. 'Due to the sloped terrain and accumulation of waste, the fire was a challenge to put out. 'We decided to deploy an excavator to work alongside a fire truck to control the flames,' Nazli said during the full board meeting at Menara MPKj. A trench has been dug at the site entrance to block access and prevent illegal dumping. Nazli said MPKj had submitted the land coordinates to Hulu Langat Land and District Office, to issue a letter of demand to the landowner on reimbursement for firefighting costs. From January to May 20, MPKj also confiscated 35 lorries used for illegal dumping activities. Nazli said the estimated value of the seizures amounted to RM192,500. — By VIJENTHI NAIR Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!
The Star
27-04-2025
- Science
- The Star
Kajang council's solutions for rubbish collection, dengue prevention
Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj) has launched two new products aimed at addressing illegal waste disposal and mosquito breeding – the CBox V1 and Biological Mosquito Breeding Trap (Bimobet V2). The CBox V1 – a heavy duty metal bin equipped with six specially designed wheels capable of absorbing impact of up to 1,500kg – will be placed in residential areas with a high-risk of illegal dumping.
