PART of my work as a Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) councillor involves mediating disputes between resident groups and various parties. From experience, things are not always what they appear to be. There are no morals to these stories, save those that readers interpret for themselves. (Lamp by Dan Edwards; yin-yang by hisks / sxc.hu) […]
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What’s the policy, please?
By KW MakTHE following are my observations on local council matters. The views are entirely my own. They may not reflect the actual policy that a local council would adopt, as policies are determined collectively and not by any one individual. Due process On 9 Oct 2009, The Star reported on a minor landslip in Puchong, supposedly […]
The maze of housing rights
By KW Mak(Maze by mzacha; houses by Stanley Elliot / sxc.hu) URBAN settlers who have lived in an area for many years are increasingly finding themselves uprooted and displaced while being offered verbal promises of compensation. Rather than debate on whether the local council or the developer is in the right to do all these things, I […]
Tales from a Councillor: Bad Company
By KW MakAS a councillor, I often face difficult, even dangerous, situations even though facing such situations should not be part of the job scope. There are no morals here, save those that readers choose to interpret for themselves. Gangsters It was the night when the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) was supposed to tear down an […]
Preventing neighbourhood strife
By KW Mak(Source: solsearch.us) FROM the sale of beer to the protest against the construction of a Hindu temple within a Muslim majority area, there seems to be no shortage of issues where the demands of one ethnic group are pitted against another. When such conflicts happen, the call for the police to take action against the […]
Tales from a Councillor: Taps
By KW MakTHIS instalment of Ampersand is on my experiences dealing with issues unrelated to my work as a councillor, but which get directed to me anyway. As always, there are no morals behind these stories, save the ones readers chose to interpret for themselves. Bath and taxes The call for maghrib prayers was still resounding when […]
Tales from a Councillor:
Chicken Rice Wars and The Thin Yellow Line
By KW MakIN this exciting episode of Ampersand, I would like to share some of my experiences as a councillor. There are no morals behind these stories save the ones readers chose to draw for themselves. Chicken rice It was almost 11pm when I finally wrapped up a meeting with a group of residents one night. Having […]
Flawed system behind Teoh’s death
By KW MakDEATH threats, lawsuits and even face-offs with gangsters are some of the things I deal with in the course of my work as a councillor in the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ). These are occupational hazards that come with the territory. TeohOn 16 July 2009, Teoh Beng Hock, a public servant like I am though […]
Why did MBPJ spend so much?
By KW MakMBPJ is spending RM1.2 million on this walkway with tactile indicators (pic by KW Mak) IT was recently reported that the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) spent RM1.2 million on a pedestrian walkway in Section 5, Petaling Jaya. There was uproar from residents because of the exorbitant cost involved. In the report, MBPJ Mayor Datuk […]
PKR’s Thiruvenggadam replies to show-cause letter
By Deborah LohPETALING JAYA, 25 June 2009: Petaling Jaya city councillor A Thiruvenggadam said his expose on contracts between the Pakatan Rakyat state government and waste management company Alam Flora is a state government matter for which his party, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), should not punish him. Thiruvenggadam today replied to a show-cause letter from PKR asking […]
