It’s time for our local council to reassess their priorities. Instead of continually increasing the assessment rate, which places an undue financial burden on residents, they should focus on enhancing their service to the public. A rise in rates does not necessarily equate to better services; instead, it often leads to frustration and dissatisfaction among community members who feel they are paying more for the same or even diminished quality.
Can the local council or state government, or Exco member Ng Suee Lim, give assurance that with this increase in the assessment rate, they can tackle and provide more car parks, a more efficient transport system to reduce congestion, smoother traffic flow, less gridlock, no more potholes, flash floods, a super-efficient drainage system, etc.?
MPPJ has increased the assessment once in the year 2020, and another increase is proposed in 2025. The assessment rate for the year 2019 was RM343.20. The assessment rate was increased to 855.36 in 2020. The assessment rate proposal increases to RM1065.00 in the year 2025 (as shown below). As prices rise, things are getting tougher for locals, particularly B40 and M40.
They can enhance their services in numerous ways to better serve local citizens. Here’s a compelling list of ways to improve efficacy:
Everything that happens in the township is the responsibility of the local governments—contractors from TNB. Syabas, IWK, and Telekom are digging all over the place, leaving a sloppy job, as demonstrated in the photographs below. The municipal government should consider seriously the damage done by these contractors to the roads. They should have sufficient oversight, corrective work, and fines for substandard work, and blacklisting contractors is important, which is the town council's responsibility . It is extremely dangerous for pedestrians, motorcyclists, and other cars. Does this warrant an increase in taxes?
The ideal way to channel public complaints would be to make Datuk Bandar and all of his Pengarah/Deputy Pengarah emails openly accessible on their website, so that if the complaint is not addressed, the public can directly contact them. This strategy was successfully implemented by former Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan, Chief Secretary to the Government (2006-2012) and any citizen can email him at any moment, and he will personally ensure that the relevant authority follows through.
.Malaysia's local government system follows a centralized political framework. Since local elections were discontinued in 1970, mayors and councilors have been appointed rather than elected, reducing their accountability to the people. This top-down strategy hinders citizen participation and engagement in local administration, resulting in a gap between community needs and local authorities' actions. The resumption of local elections empowers citizens at the grassroots level; local elections could lead to a more vibrant and effective political scene that better meets the needs of all Malaysians.
Financial transparency should be implemented with a detailed, easily understandable budget visualization tool that shows how a 25% increase in public funds is allocated and spent. Provide quarterly financial reports that are accessible to all citizens in simple, clear language. This will put a stop to the misuse of public funds .
Local governments should develop stringent protocols to ensure that all personnel are held accountable for their activities. Government projects, large and small, are awarded through competitive, open tendering. Every member of the administration officially declares their assets. Politics and business are kept apart, and family members of government leaders are not permitted to conduct business.
Hopefully, in the coming year 2025, we all can have better service from the local council.
Season's greetings and a prosperous New Year 2025 to all readers!
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