Latest news with #Sispaa
The Star
6 days ago
- The Star
Errant MBPJ staff to be dealt with
PETALING Jaya City Council (MBPJ) officers have been warned to expedite handling ratepayers' complaints or be given show-cause letters. Petaling Jaya mayor Mohamad Zahri Samingon said this was to tackle delays as well as boost accountability within MBPJ amid growing public discontent, especially with the increase in assessment rates this year. He said officers must address complaints lodged through the Public Complaints Management System (Sispaa) in a speedy manner. 'For example, if the complaint was lodged in March and if in June there is no response, I will issue the letter. 'The staff will have seven days to show reasons as to why they didn't take any action or reply to the complaint. 'The staff must provide answers and if I cannot accept their reasoning, I will take disciplinary action,' Mohamad Zahri said at the city council's full board meeting at MBPJ headquarters. He said this in response to Zone 19 councillor Nalina Nair's meeting postponement speech highlighting the lack of response by MBPJ to a complaint about a collapsed drain in SS20. Mohamad Zahri: Staff have seven days to answer show-cause letter. Mohamad Zahri said staff must acknowledge and reply to the complaint and not keep silent. 'People become angry because there is no reply to their complaints. 'We also need to give a reasonable time estimate as to when the problem will be resolved,' he added. At the meeting, Nalina said the collapsed drain in Jalan SS20/6 resulted in a deep hole on the walkway, which was dangerous. The first complaint, she said, was made by residents in February this year, but there was no response, and in April, when councillor Yip Sean Yi followed up, again no clear answer was provided. 'On June 12, I raised this matter in the Infrastructure, Traffic and Public Facilities committee meeting, but was told that the department had not been to the location to assess the problem or propose a solution. 'On June 17, this matter was brought up again but the answer received was still lacklustre. 'Finally, after a few councillors and I went to the location, took photos and forwarded the complaints in the Councillor Complaints Whatsapp group, action was taken the next day.' Nalina stressed that the increase in assessment rates meant that people expected faster, more transparent and more effective work from MBPJ. 'Their complaints must be answered promptly and repair works carried out properly with continuous monitoring,' she said. She cited another example of a complaint regarding a broken bench at a park in Section 1. 'The usual answer given in meetings is that there is no allocation, whereas small works to remove dangerous objects from public areas do not require large expenditure. The collapsed drain in Jalan SS20/6 resulted in a deep hole on the walkway. — Courtesy photos 'We need to rethink the process of budget management, contractor appointment, and work implementation so that the effectiveness of the work can be improved and allocation used wisely,' she added. On the issue of dengue cases in Petaling Jaya, Mohamad Zahri said a total of 1,194 cases had been reported as of June 7, which was an 18% increase compared to the previous week. 'Currently, 19 outbreak localities have been identified, including two hotspots, reflecting the urgent need to improve comprehensive dengue prevention and control. 'Among the main contributing factors to the increase in dengue cases are low environmental cleanliness, illegal gardens, empty houses and abandoned reserve lands. 'This situation is further exacerbated by the careless attitude of a few communities who are less aware of the dangers of dengue,' he said in his speech at the meeting. Mohamad Zahri said Petaling district was among areas with the highest cases in Selangor, while Damansara Damai was the main contributor to cases under MBPJ's jurisdiction. 'In this area, there are 15 high-rise housing clusters comprising 14,477 residential units, with high population density becoming a risk factor for dengue transmission,' he said.
The Star
11-05-2025
- The Star
Public as ‘eyes and ears' of MBJB to enhance integrity
Mohd Haffiz (centre) and his officers having a discussion with IIM representatives. THE public is being encouraged to play a more active role in alerting the authorities about faulty public amenities via a new initiative, says Johor Baru mayor Datuk Mohd Haffiz Ahmad. He said the Community Integrity Building programme was a collaboration between Johor Baru City Council (MBJB) and Malaysian Institute of Integrity (IIM). 'This initiative allows the community to work closely with MBJB by channelling feedback and complaints related to development and other matters through existing complaint channels. 'Our aim is to raise awareness and sensitivity among the public towards integrity-related issues in their surroundings. 'We also want to empower the community to act as agents of change in strengthening the local integrity ecosystem,' he said during a briefing session on the programme recently. Mohd Haffiz said the programme would kick off in Bandar Baru Uda, Dato' Onn and Desa Cemerlang. 'We will have 10 community members from each of the three zones monitoring the public infrastructure and amenities in their respective areas. 'They will then report any issues they come across to the relevant departments through the available complaint channels. 'For a start, we will focus on faulty road and park lights, which are among the most commonly reported issues,' he said. He said the complaints would be submitted through existing platforms such as the Public Report Management System (Sispaa). 'Through this programme, we hope to establish a platform for dialogue between MBJB and the public. 'We also hope to have the public serve as the eyes and ears of the authorities to curb unethical practices,' he said, adding that this was also a way for the public to have their voices heard.
The Star
01-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
New platform to reach Kulai council
Mohd Hafiz (sixth from left) at the launch of MPKu's WhatsApp hotline number at Menara MPKu. Kulai Municipal Council (MPKu) has launched a WhatsApp hotline number to make it easier for people to lodge complaints. MPKu president Mohd Hafiz Aliman said he expects the public to make full use of the new hotline number, which is 019-758 2828. 'Prior to this, there were already several ways to lodge complaints with MPKu. 'These include the Public Complaints Management System (Sispaa), which is under the Public Complaints Bureau. 'Besides that, the public can also call the council's regular number, write a letter or go directly to our service counters to lodge a complaint,' he said when met after launching the hotline following the full board meeting at Menara MPKu. He added that MPKu had decided to use the WhatsApp platform to make it easier for residents and business operators to lodge complaints with the council. 'If they have issues that need the council's attention, they can send a message, including photos, through WhatsApp. 'The complaint will be directed to any of the 16 departments under MPKu for immediate action. 'We expect good response. This is good as it will help us improve our service,' he said. Separately, Mohd Hafiz said that the council would also review its by-laws to curb immigrants from carrying out businesses within its jurisdiction. Current by-laws do not allow foreigners from opening any business, he said. 'However, through enforcement action, we found that some of these foreigners married locals. 'This made it easier for them to apply for a licence and open a shop,' he said, adding that there should be no loopholes that certain quarters could abuse. 'As MPKu is part of Greater Johor Baru, which includes other local authorities such as Pasir Gudang City Council (MBPG), Iskandar Puteri City Council (MBIP) and Johor Baru City Council (MBJB), we need to see how the other councils have addressed this matter. 'Some of them have improved their respective by-laws. 'If it has worked in their areas, we will review it and implement it here as well,' said Mohd Hafiz.
