Ong: Councils ignoring directive
NST 7/3/2005 By Ravi Nambiar, Nik Imran Abdullah and Arman Ahmad

JOHOR BARU, Mar 6:

Many local councils are disregarding a Cabinet directive to appoint area officers to monitor developments on the ground.

Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting said the appointment of area officers (AOs) would enable local authorities to respond swiftly to any problem. These officers are meant to be the "eyes and ears" of the local authority.

"I regret to say many local authorities do not have the resolve and commitment to solve weaknesses on the ground. Enforcement is also lacking even though we have the legislation.

"Despite the Cabinet directive, many also still have not appointed AOs. This is a serious problem," he told reporters after the ground-breaking ceremony for the RM200 million Festive Street Mall and Danga Walk commercial development at Danga Bay here today.

The New Sunday Times today reported that there was "zero monitoring" by the Shah Alam City Council of destruction of the green belt at Bukit Cerakah.

Ong said local authorities had no excuse for not monitoring and evaluating projects on the ground.

"Town council presidents and chairmen should also make it a point to go down and carry out spot checks. There must be leadership by example.

"As heads of local authorities, they must take time off to investigate all public complaints. And where necessary, they must take firm remedial action," he said.

Meanwhile, environmentalists today took the Shah Alam City Council to task for failing to monitor work near the Bukit Cahaya Seri Alam agricultural park.

Former Department of Environment director-general Datuk Dr Abu Bakar Jaafar said manpower shortage and lack of resources were no excuse for not doing their job.

"Increase staff strength, find the time and solutions to your problems and don't just shirk your responsibility."

Shah Alam deputy mayor Za'ba Che Rus had said none of the eight developers given approval to carry out earthworks was monitored as they had been given a pre-approved schedule by the council.

"The council cannot be expected to monitor every project," he had said.

Dr Abu Bakar said the law governing environmental impact assessments was very clear but "there is a tendency by state authorities to overlook the EIA orders".

"With or without EIA, the council still has to check whether the projects are carried out according to the terms and conditions it set for approval," he said.

Centre for Environment, Technology and Development Malaysia executive director Gurmit Singh said: "How can they say they could not monitor the projects when the site is in their backyard? Their job is to meet the expectations of the taxpayers."

Environment Protection Society of Malaysia president Mano Maniam said the council needed to take care of everything within its jurisdiction.

"They have to take care of everything, no matter what. They may need more resources, more people or better training."