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A Comprehensive Study to Review the Roles and Functions of Local Authorities Speech by Dr Tan Seng Giaw, DAP National Vice-Chairman and MP for Kepong at the DAP Kuching dinner on 2 May 1999. | |||||||
| There are over 150 local authorities including two Kuching municipalities. The fact that there are two municipalities in a town is unique in the world. In the Mid-Term Review of the Seventh Malaysia Plan, MRT7MP, the Prime Minister Dato' Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad has said that the local authorities have improved the quality of life through urban services, socio-economic and recreational facilities. They also implement health and beautification programmes. According to the concept of the World Health Organization, WHO, the Government implemented the urban health scheme in Johor Baru and Kuching in 1997: improvement of the environment and health without affecting the efforts to better the quality of life. We do not know whether the Government has achieved the objectives. What are the criteria used? Because there has not been local government election for 30 years, the mayor or councilors can do no wrong. Even if they are found wanting, the people have no way of replacing them. If there are elections, the laggard will not be reelected. Clearly, local government elections are important. In the 7MP, there is a proposal to do a comprehensive study to review the roles and functions of local authorities. , But, in the MTR, there is no mention of this. This is a serious mistake. Since the abolition of local government elections, the Government has not presented any report on the comprehensive survey of local governments. It made a promise to do so three years ago. We are waiting for the Government to fulfil its promise. During the speech, Dr Tan Seng | |
Giaw also touched on the need to formulate effective criteria for banks to give out loans and the equally important steps to ensure that no one, however powerful, can force any banker to go against these criteria. This is in reference to the court case of Dato' Ibrahim Khalid, the Chief Executive Officer, CEO, of the Sime Bank. He was alleged to have given out RM175 millions to a company, Everise Holdings Berhad. The banks had criteria but these were not followed. Instead, loans were given out with tremendous risks. This state of affair should not recur. The Government should try its utmost to raise funds to help the banks. The current measure to buy RM12.6 bilion bad loans or Non-Performing Loans, NPLs, from banks and only pay them five years later is not good enough. The viral encephalitis epidemic has claimed 100 lives. Although officially the first case was reported in November 1998, it was not until the end of March 1999, about five months later, that a special centre was set up earnestly to identify and characterize the virus. Had the Government taken the outbreak seriously early, the morbidity and mortality would not have been so severe. Now, the virus has been found in Perak, spreading to Negeri Sembilan, Selangor and Johor. More places in Perak such as Gopeng are found to have pigs infected with the virus. The Government must find out quickly how the virus has spread. Unless and until, it has discovered or uncovered the nature, character, mode of transmission and reservoir of the virus, preventive measures may not be effective.
Dr Tan Seng Giaw | |||||
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