Questions & Suspicions

In presenting proposals and suggestions, we Councillors are often given evasive or differing answers by the public servants. Wait a minute... if they are the 'servants,' who is the boss? Actually, you and I know that the customer is king. And the residents of our district are our customers. As such, the actual bosses are the residents, rightly so because they pay the bills and taxes that the government and council uses to carry out their responsibilities.

Reality check: many council employees carry out their duties err... faithfully? sincerely? yes, robotically! They come to work, do what is necessary and go home; no more, no less. You can identify them by their plastic smiles (probably superglue). Of course, there are some diligent ones (usually those freshies who have not yet been influenced by the exisiting 'culture'). And some are downright lazy and lackadiasical (since the system is such that nobody gets the sack and everybody gets the bonus and increment, so why exert oneself?). Finally, a small number have risen to the level of little emperors with their kingdom that no one can touch!

This small group is the decision-makers. Councillors must live in fear of them. The Councillor is expected to be nice to them to get things going. 'Tolong' is a common key. And it is not the simple manners of saying 'please.' Must place them on a pedestal, give them high praises, pat their backs, and accept their decisions (spoken and implied).

These highly sensitive people are never questioned about their 'personal' time (especially during office hours) or whereabouts (one was accidentally discovered taking a nap while another was 'found' in his farm). I can imagine one 'entertaining' another government servant on the green or in a club. Ruffle their feathers and you die!

And so questions and suspicions quietly arise at the back of our minds: why only a few contractors get the tenders, why buy only from one supplier, why this, why that? Cronies? Kickbacks?

Even though our Councillors are generally united in our proposals, many fail to realize that as a Council, it is our individual and collective duty to direct the officers and employees to carry out our decisions. It is our right to question decisions and seek the truth. Instead, we are led by our nose on many occasions, simply because no one wants to be the 'bad' guy in putting his/her foot down. Some live in fear, telling me that it is better to have a devil you know than a replacement devil nobody knows.

The first Council meeting was held to brief all Councillors and for us to take our oath of office. The second meeting saw many questions being asked (we had lunch after 3.00pm!), simply because all of us were new and needed to know how things move, and at the third meeting, we had to sit through the briefing again because a new YDP had been appointed and need to be sworn in. There simply wasn't enough time to really sort out the questions and suspicions!

Who holds the Dough (Part 2)?

"Money, money, money, it's a rich man's world." With Mama Mia coming to theatre and stage, Abba's songs are the vogue again. So, for the poor, poor man (with the forthcoming recession, that means almost everyone, you and me inclusive!), many sacrifices will have to be made. But at the Council level, some are simply basic rights that every citizen (tax-payer or not) is entitled to. A clean environment (i.e. no clogged drains and rubbish being cleared on time), a healthy life (i.e. no dengue or chiku mosquitoes around... make that no mosquitoes around!), the opportunity to earn a decent living (with the proper licenses of course), schools to send children to and playgrounds clean enough to play in...

Who cares a hoot about politics??

With state and federal governments being run by different political parties, each blaming the other for the lack of progress, it is the man on the street who suffers. It could also be the man in government service who benefits - the federal government giving a month's bonus and the state (in Perak at least) topping that with a month + 20%!

But when it comes to money for development... "ask the other lah!" One sometimes wonders how the system works. The federal government (where our taxes go) would channel funds through their political parties or loyal departments so that recipients will be duly "appreciative" and vote them again. Not sure how much of it really reaches the bottom level. The state government, having a much, much smaller chest (of funds, that is), would use land and natural resources to create value for the people. Unfortunately, all these are irrelevant to the poor man seeking his next meal (no intention of being sexist, but this applies to the poor woman also). And sometimes, the left arm is unaware of the right arm.

Take the federal initiative to eradicate hardcore poor in towns started a few years back. Channeled through the local government (i.e. councils like mine), this project is a surprise to the Welfare Dept as their officers, who are the ones closest to the needy, are not aware. And not many councils are keen to take this up even though the raising of living standards in its community is a key purpose of any council!

Fight for power, fight for funds, fight for benefits, fight for contracts, fight for datukship, fight for personal gain, but who is fighting for the rights of the common man without money??

Who holds the Dough?

Money makes the world go round, so they say. It has become such an embedded culture that it really takes money (and sometimes lots of it) to get things going!

"Hey Councillor, this [problem] must be solved!" goes a typical 'aduan' (complaint). If it is the Council's responsibility, then the Council will have to find the resources... which usually requires money. Manpower not enough, employ some more (allocation not enough!). Then do overtime lah... (money not enough!). Equipment break down... need to replace (money not enough... didn't budget!). Ask staff to "help"... "ada bonus tak?" or "sarapan pagi pun belum makan boss..." or "boleh bincang tentang... [naik gaji, tambah elaun, shorter hours, benefits, blah, blah, blah...]!!"

If it is another government agency's responsibility... the answers are about the same! Or thy simply ignore you, delay another month means relax another month!

Appeal for some funds then. From who? Try the Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (State Legislative Assemblyman) or Member of Parliament... "not enough funds lah, Perak new government, last government spent all the money, people pay tax to federal government so the state is poor lah, etc" or "why must I help you? You are appointed by the opposition government, ask your government lah!" or "sorry, do I know you??!"

How about local businesses? "Economy down lah, not sure can survive or not my company!" or "have to ask the boss - haven't seen him for many months already!" or "ask the residents lah, if they cannot take care of their own area why should we help them?"

Ask the residents... "WHAT?! You want us to pay to solve [problem]?? Then why should we pay assessment? You eat our money ah?" or "sorry boss, we are poor people, we cannot afford two decent meals, please, please, tolong, tolong..." or "ask the businesses lah, it they want to do business here, then they should help out!"

Meanwhile, the stench from the [problem] is getting worse. The two neighbours argue whose shit is it and whose is smellier. And we find out that 'fragrance' is coming from the drain between the two houses - private land over which the Council has absolutely no jurisdiction but which everybody assumes is the responsibility of the Council (hence Councillor).

Come on... doesn't good old neighborly care exist anymore?

Hello, Councillor ah?

The word is out! The handphone numbers of the Councillors were published in the local dailies and the calls started coming in. Not congrats and well-wishes, mind you!

A typical call would sound like this, "Hello? Councillor ah? Why the rubbish not collected ah? One week already oh!" And my reply would usually be, "Thank you for calling. Which area/road..." CLICK! Hey, how can I do my job if you don't tell me where??!! Sometimes, they do tell or show me but it would be outside my jurisdiction (we have been given designated areas). My 'territory' is Kg Baru (Barat) Mambang Di Awan [Fairies in the Clouds] and a few surrounding housing areas. And callers would complain about the rubbish in Jeram (about 10km away) or the lighting in Gopeng (20km away). Anyway, we take all these in stride, it has become our collective responsibility so we help each other and we forward the complaints to the relevant authories, which, by the way, is not just the local council.

Getting to know the actual authorities involved is a minefield: "This is not my problem" being the most usual answer, the next being, "I don't know."

A common issue is the repair, maintenance and upgrading of roads. The major roads are under the Public Works Department (JKR) but the smaller roads are under the council. Sometimes the Land Office is called in. Other agencies that could get involved would be the Road Safety Department (JKJR) and Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS). And if the road sides are affected, the Department of Irrigation & Drainage (DID), sewerage concessionaire IndahWater and other affected authorities (TNB, TM etc) are roped in.

Street lighting is under Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) but since the electricity bill is paid by the Council so complains must go through the Council for action to be taken.

And of course, rubbish, the most common of all complains. I have seen how some people would throw rubbish out of their cars or off their bikes while passing a dump (or not).The bags would break or miss the dump and land in the drain or among the bushes. And then the complaints would come in about the odour, the sight, the dogs etc.

Be fair to the council's sanitation workers. Even though they are paid to carry out their duty, they cannot be expected to pick up after everyone. The residents need to be responsible in putting the rubbish bags where they belong (in the dump, not the recycling bins, and certainly not anywhere they like!).

And who pays what? The annual assessments that residents pay is usually not enough to settle even three months' electricity bill for public utilities for the same area! So the Council is dependent on licenses and business assessments, revenue from rentals of Council properties, the State Government (which is actually quite poor) and the Federal Government (where all our taxes goes to and from where should most of the funding be from). Being apolitical (as are most residents), this gives rise to a dilemma.

A Time to Start Asking

Given a rosy picture of health for the District did not mean we can sit back and relax. As we Councillors got to know each other better, some over the durian lunch provided, a common question arose... if everything is so in order, why were there rumbling noises?

As such, most of us got down to the ground. Starting anonymously (or haven't got big-headed yet) with the local hawkers and shopkeepers, I started with innocent questions, like "wah, your drain so smelly wan? No one come to clean meh?" or (during an evening walk) "how come so dark, streetlight out again ah?" or "got snakes here ah, grass so long!". Of course, as a stranger to the community, their answers would usually be, "ya lor, the Council workers are lazy buggers," or "aiya, complain so many times, fed-up already lah!" Some braver ones (like my wife) would ask back, "why you so busy-body huh?" or "you government spy ah?" and even, "Aaahh, you must the new Councillor! Come, come, let me tell you about..... (ending about an hour later)"

Soon, as I got more familiar to my role as the people's first level representative, I also spoke to residents and interested parties, as well as the Council workers and officers to get both sides of the picture. On both sides, some were pretty decent, taking time to explain issues, showing solutions or offering constructive criticisms. Most were lackadaisical, an entrenched behaviour and habit from giving up hope of any improvement, probably horned after many bitter experiences. A few were downright nasty, "I don't care about your problems, I want this solved right now!!"

Feeling sorely tested, I sought the opinions of my fellow Councillors. Surprisingly, those I spoke to felt the same way and so, in order to get the opinions of the others, a non-official meeting was called. 'Non-official' because we will not be paid to attend. More than half turned up and various issues and knowledge were shared. I noted there were some who were ignorant about the role of the Councillor, the authority and rights of the position and what limitations the Council have. Most have not read the Local Government Act (Act 171) and some still have the 'opposition' mentality i.e. the urge to highlight problems in the media so the government can take action. These were gently reminded that we are now the government, that it is our duty to ensure problems are solved and that it would be best to highlight problems we have managed to settle to the media.

The non-official meeting ended positively. Wary that we may get another round of rosy answers that skirts the real issues, it was agreed that we make a united effort to ask common questions at the next full Council meeting.

The First Full Council Meeting

"Psst, can we request not to wear coat, ah?" a Councillor sounded me. The official attire for all Council meetings is formal i.e. coat and tie. Although most of the 22 Councillors present wore dark formal attire, one wore a beige sports jacket and two did not wear a tie. The explanation given is that such meetings are open to the public and we better be well dressed (and well behaved!)

For the second time, I came face-to-face with my colleagues, this time real close. There were seven of us representing the non-governmental organizations, and the rest (including one absent on maternity leave) were political appointees. Among the NGO reps were three consultants and three educationalists. From another angle, there were three retirees, two employees, and two business-owners (although the retirees may also have businesses of their own). The politicos were a mixed lot and of varying educational levels. Anyway, it is not for me to judge anyone's competence in serving the Council effectively.

This first meeting was to officially appoint each of us as Councillors (as if the swearing-in two weeks earlier was only a performance!) so we had to go through the whole swearing-in thing again. The appointment letter, signed acceptance letter (both dates), and signed pledges of secrecy and obeiance were given back to us in a nice folder. Wait a minute... if the pledges are back with us and the Council has no copy, does that mean we can be less secretive and totally disobedient?

The chairman of the Council, the Council President (or YDP: Yang Di Pertua), a government appointee, is actually a part-timer, serving full-time as the Senior Assistant District Officer. As such, he comes to the Council office only if he has meetings to chair etc. The Secretary (or SU: Setiausaha), also a government appointee and officially at the beck and call of the YDP and the Council, is like the CEO, overseeing the day-to-day affairs of the Council. He gave us a long briefing on the status of the Council since the last meeting, held by the former Councillors. A nice picture was painted - the District Council is performing well, one of the top in the State, blah, blah, blah..., and has two distinctions: leadership in electronic local government management (or ePBT) and in recycling, whereby other local councils would come and learn from us. There is a healthy balance in the bank and collections are up to the mark. It is a progressive district with incoming investments and growth is everywhere.

Hmmm... so rosy??

Learning on the Go!

The oath has been taken, my fate sealed. I now have to find out what exactly the duty of a Councillor entails! Enquiries at the Local Government Unit at the Perak State Secretariat were answered, "wait, you will be informed" so I bought copies of the Local Govt Act in Malay and English. Eager to get to know my fellow Councillors, the answer was again, "wait, you will be informed."

Nonetheless, the sense of honor and privilege was with me as I took my first 'official' trip to visit the District of Kinta South. The district stretched in the north from the border of Gopeng and Ipoh to the south slightly after Kampar, from Kota Baru in the west to Sg Siput (Selatan) to the east. In between, lay Malim Nawar and a few large 'villages' (though small towns they have become) like Mambang Di Awan, Jeram, Kuala Dipang, Kopisan & Lawan Kuda.

Over the next few days and weeks, as I traveled to every nook and corner of this district, my feelings turned from pride to curiosity, then to anxiety, even to anger. My first impression was the disparity between wealthy lushness and a landscape raped and left destitute by the tin-miners. Where the green fauna and limestone hills can be seen bordering the major roads, one has to take less traveled paths to see miles and miles of white barren sand and pools after pools of brackish water. It will be a herculean task to bring life back to these lands and as a Councillor appointed to bring quality of life to the locals, will this my destiny?

My next impression was the amount of rubbish and neglect everywhere. Is this the Council's fault or the residents, used to a simpler philosophy that whatever thrown away wherever, will be taken care of by God, nature, Council and scavengers (not necessarily in that order)? The durian season was in full swing - and its scent (or stench, if you prefer) was in the air everywhere. So were their inedible parts, too thorny to put into plastic bags for disposal, they are left enmass often by the roadside. Then there is the sand, sand, sand everywhere. Come a heavy rain, and the recently cleared canals and drains are full again, with sand!

The Council-provided amenities were everywhere... on first impression, plenty of playgrounds with pretty playthings, recycling collection centers everywhere, and many public toilets. On closer inspection, many of the playthings were poorly maintained and strewn with rubbish (often rubber-based anti-conception devices... you know what I mean!). The recycling collection centers were locked and left unused though I noted some recycling material where they shouldn't have been kept, and locked public toilets... when one needed it just then! Again, kudos to the Council for the efforts but bullocks for not managing them well. Classic case of first class infrastructure, third class mentality! A mindset the new Councillors will have to revamp with the Council employees.

Finally, the first full Council meeting was called and I will soon get to know my fellow Councillors a little better.