Garbage collectors on Strike demanding for Higher Fees

Press Statement by Y.B. Dr. Boo Cheng Hau on June 10, 2010  about household garbage having been collected for more than a week at Taman Ungku Tun Aminah Flats

Democratic Action Party Johor State Chairman Y.B. Dr. Boo Cheng Hau today lambasted Barisan Nasional Government in Skudai for failing to collect household garbage on schedule and failing to look after residents need after 52 years of independence.

Dr. Boo has equated the scene of plied up garbage and dead animal bodies with the same problem reported through international press that has happened in Harere, the Capital of Zimbabwe, where rubbish has been piled up due to mismanagement of government funds and diseases rampant killing thousands of Zimbabweans.  

Dr. Boo who is also the State Opposition leader blamed the Barisan Nasional Federal Government, Johor State Government and Local Council for failing to manage solid waste disposal competently.  He said Federal  Government's privatization policy not only failed to  manage the solid waste disposal problem effectively but the problem had become worsened in the past few years.

Dr. Boo had received  complaints from the residents living at Taman Ungku Tun Aminah low cost flats again today and visited the sites at  3 o'clock this afternoon. The areas involved included  Blocks  33 to 36,  Blocks 10 to 20 and Blocks  67 to 73 Taman Ungku Tun Amiinah.  The residents here complained that household garbage had not been collected for more than a week and the resulted  offensive odour had affected their daily life. 

Blocks  33 to 36 Management Corporation Treasurer  Koh Poh Soon alleged that Johor Bahru Central Municipal  Council was incompetent in handling the matter. He said that  residents paid assessment rates  and quit rent to the  State and local governments, and they  must manage the garbage disposal in an effective manner. I

Dr. Boo, after having inspected problem areas, immediately notified the Southern Waste Environment Management Company’s persons in charge,   MPJBT President Haji Mohd Fuzi Shahimi, and Menteri Besar’s Political Secretary by phone text messages and phone calls.

He said the South Waste Environmental  Management Corporation and its contractors had demanded   Government to increase garbage  collection fee  from the original RM 3 to RM 5 each household per month.  While Federal and State Governments had not made any decision on their demand,  SWM and its contractors had gone on work-to-rule by reducing garbage collection frequency to once a week or longer as compared to three  times a week according to the contract..

Dr. Boo said that, due to  Federal Government’s privatization policy, State Government and Local councils no longer have the power to appoint waste disposal contractors but through Federal agencies. This has made appointment of solid waste collectors result in red tape and inefficiency.   Dr. Boo opines that the Federal Government should amend law to re-delegate the power of appointing garbage  collectors  to local governments and contracts should be offered by open tenders  to avoid similar problems of irregular garbage collection from happening. .

Dr. Boo said he would raise the issue in the State Assembly and other DAP Parliamentarians would help raise the issue in Parliamanet .

《2002年6月10日士古来讯》

行动党柔佛州主席巫程豪今天炮轰国阵政府，独立52年日益腐败，就如垃圾收集和清理工作无法做好，马来西亚将和津巴布韦一样，承包商无法定期清理垃圾，首都哈里里室内垃圾堆积如山，老鼠丛生造成疾病蔓延，民不聊生。

也是士古来州议员的巫程豪是在走访士古来皇后花园租屋区后，发表谈话，炮轰有关当局，包括国阵管理的新山中区市议会，柔佛州政府以及中央政府的私营化政策，不但没有更有效的解决问题，问题还变本加厉，也证明了国阵无法处理基本问题，领袖将被人民唾弃。

巫程豪是在居民投诉后，在今天下午3点左右走访皇后各组屋区，包括第33至36座、第10至20座组屋以及地67至73做组屋，居民无不大吐苦水，投诉垃圾长大一个星期未收集，臭味熏天。陪同巫程豪者还有特别助理邹毅豪、行动党振林山区联委会宣传秘书陈宏宾、大学城支部宣传秘书符气发、皇后花园组屋区支部主席王永华。

皇后花园第33至36座组屋居民管理委员会财政许宝顺，怒责新山中区市议会无能照顾市民的基本需要，他说，人民缴交产业税和地税，州政府和地方政府必须管理人民的基本民生问题，如果垃圾问题无法良好解决，相信人民将好好的教训有关当局。

巫程豪在巡视问题后，立即通知南方废料管理公司的负责人，也通知市议会主席、州务大臣政治秘书等人，要求他们亲自巡视有关地区，和了解人民的痛苦。

他说，南方废料管理公司和属下的承包商要求，政府提高垃圾收取承包费用从每家每月3原增加到5元，而中央政府和州政府短期内没有任何定夺，垃圾承包商和南方方面采取怠工行动，造成垃圾无法定期处理，人民遭殃。

巫程豪说，中央政府因为在私营化政策下，把地方政府负责和委派垃圾处理承包商的权利剥夺了，造成垃圾收取工作更加美育哦效率，因此，巫程豪认为政府应该修改法令，把委派承包商的权利交回给地方政府，而地方政府应该公开招标收取垃圾工程的合同，以免同样事件不断发生，让人民难以忍受其中的不便。

他将通过行动党国会议员在国会中提出，他本人也将在州议会内讨论有关问题。

The author's view does not represent the views of NegaraKita.com.

Please visit author's blog as a support to the author's work.