Local Authorities Should Have Area Inspection Officers

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I FELT a sense of déjà vu reading the report “State salutes its road sweepers” published on July 1 about nine workers from the Penang Island City Council and Seberang Perai City Council being honoured in an investiture ceremony in conjunction with the 84th birthday of the Penang Governor.
Fifteen years ago, I mooted the idea that unemployed graduates be employed by local authorities to take charge of areas under their care as “Executive Cleanliness Officers”, which was published in a daily on July 16, 2010.
I wrote after reading the report “Honours for council labourers”, which warmed the cockles of my heart. Then, I dreamed of the day when graduates are employed as road sweepers and vested with enforcement power to issue summons to anyone caught littering or dumping wastes.
Such executive staff who are made accountable and responsible for cleanliness will ensure that the public areas within their jurisdictions are cleaned up and remain clean most of the time.
They can also report on faulty drainage, street and traffic lights, toppled trees and overly heavy branches, missing man-hole covers, broken windows, potholes, road-kills and many more.
This will increase the efficiency of our local authorities while reducing costs and the number of redundant staff. It will justify these “Executive Cleanliness Officers” being paid more with their added responsibilities. All the above were written 15 years ago but are relevant today.
Recently, Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa replied to Bukit Bintang MP Fong Kui Lun’s query in Parliament on abandoned vehicle complaints and resolution rates. She stressed that vehicle owners must take responsibility for disposing of their own vehicles.
She disclosed that a total of 1,009 public complaints regarding damaged or abandoned vehicles were lodged with the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) between January and May this year, with 992 cases successfully resolved. The remaining 17 complaints are still under investigation.
DBKL’s Enforcement Department manages these vehicles by relocating them to three designated depots in Taman Connaught, Pantai Sentral, and Jalan Emas for storage and disposal.
The highest number of reports came from Segambut (163 complaints), followed by Seputeh (143), Setiawangsa (113), and Bukit Bintang (81).
However, if DBKL were to take the initiative to check every road, street and corner in the city for abandoned vehicles, the total number could number several hundred thousand.
For example, there are 40 public parking lots along the short stretch of road in front of my condominium, and 12 are permanently occupied by cars that were either left abandoned or unused, or could not be sold or kept for sentimental value, particularly rare ancient models.
But all these immobilised cars are not only eyesores, they also deprive residents living in the area and visitors of parking space, forcing them to park at the back lane or much further away.
They have a broken window effect that encourages more deterioration and public neglect.
It is similar to littering. If an area or roadside is uncleared of rubbish, it would soon be turned into a dumping ground.
But if it is kept clean, the same passersby will not litter. Hence, the importance of removing abandoned cars without road tax from parking along public roads.
In any case, DBKL should have “Area Inspection Officers” to cover the entire federal territory, instead of relying on the public to bring matters to its attention.
And instead of hiring more staff, the City Hall could redeploy many of its workers now spending more time browsing their phones. 
YS Chan is master trainer for Mesra Malaysia and Travel and Tours Enhancement Course and an Asean Tourism Master Trainer. He is also a tourism and transport business consultant.

The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of  MMKtT.
- Focus Malaysia.

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