Engage KL MPs for collective decision-making, FT dept told

 

Kuala Lumpur MPs need to be roped in to help chart the city’s plans and policies, says a local government expert.

PETALING JAYA: Local government expert Derek Fernandez has stressed the need to engage Kuala Lumpur MPs in the decision-making process under the newly-formed federal territories department.

He said ideally the department, recently created under the prime minister’s office, could adopt the practice of local councils where all councillors are involved in the decision-making process.

“This is to avoid excessive power in the hands of one person who has the prerogative to make a decision,” he said, adding that it could lead to a possible “abuse of power”.

However, Fernandez said if this is not a viable option, Kuala Lumpur MPs could form a committee to review and debate plans and policies.

“The more input the better because we need different perspectives before coming up with a collective decision.”

According to Fernandez, one of the department’s first priorities should be the gazetted Kuala Lumpur City Plan 2020. He claimed that amendments were made without prior consultation and this had affected the conservation of government land and green areas.

“If you hand over plots of government land for private development there would be a lack of space to build essential government facilities, such as police stations and fire and rescue stations,” he said.

Fernandez added that flooding in Kuala Lumpur is another critical issue to be addressed as the city’s infrastructure has failed to keep pace with its rapid development.

Meanwhile, former Batu MP Tian Chua said the move to replace the federal territories ministry with a department is hardly groundbreaking as this was the practice prior to 2004.

Tian Chua said the restructuring is part of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s effort to trim the size of the Cabinet under his administration. - FMT