'RM700m on DBKL's white elephants can replace all lifts in flats'

The Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and the mayor must explain how RM700 million was spent on projects that are now not used, PKR communications director Fahmi Fadzil said.

This includes the flood warning balloon for Kampung Kasipillay and the ITIS system, as highlighted by The Star, he said.

Fahmi said the DBKL advisory board should also resign en masse following this revelation.

In fact, he said, the same amount could be spent to replace all the elevators in 62 public housing projects in the city.

The elevators, which constantly break down, cost RM500,000 each, Fahmi added.

The same amount could have also been used to build 10 schools with 24 classrooms each, using the Industrialised Building System (IBS) and fill the RM60 million budget cut faced by Universiti Malaya, he said.

"In short, how did six KL mayors between 2002 and 2016 allow for this amount of money to be used in this way? Where is the accountability to the people whose hard earned ringgit was used in this manner?

"How did the DBKL advisory board, comprising 15 unelected representatives and chaired by the KL mayor, allow this to happen all this while? Where is their sense of responsibility for the public good?" Fahmi asked in a statement.

To avoid such lack of accountability, he said, the 11 of the 15 board members should be elected by DBKL ratepayers.

"I believe that only by having more direct representation in DBKL can ratepayers have a greater say and increased oversight in the administration of KL," Fahmi added.- Mkini