Selangor to set up advisory councils

Thursday May 6, 2010

Selangor to set up advisory councils
By ELAN PERUMAL
elan@thestar.com.my

ALL local authorities in Selangor will come under the scrutiny of advisory councils that will check the decisions they make.

The advisory councils are expected to function as independent bodies in the best interest of the people.

State local government committee chairman Ronnie Liu said 12 advisory councils would be created and they would be working very closely with the respective local authorities.

He said the move was aimed at improving the overall performance of the local authorities.

He said members of the advisory councils would comprise volunteers from NGOs and professionals.

“They will be intellects who have ideas about how the local authorities should effectively function. These people will represent the core group from the 10 municipal councils and two city council areas,’’ he told StarMetro in an interview.

Although they would not be involved in day-to-day operations and the decision-making process, Liu said their presence was expected to make a big impact on the functioning of the local councils.

He said the councils would be holding regular meetings with the local authorities where advise would be offered to the local authorities.

“The advistory councils do not have the authority to change decisions at their level but they can advise the councils to do so if they find that a particular decision on an issue was not appropriate.

“The council can advise the local authorities to make amendments when a particular decision had gone seriously wrong and is affecting the image of the local councils.

“They are supposed to be critical and make the local authorities know where they have gone wrong and what should be done to rectify mistakes,’’ he said.

Liu added that advice from the proposed councils could also be sought by the local authorities on issues that they were not so familiar or comfortable with.

He said the function of the advisory councils would be very unique and the local authorities and the ratepayers would be the biggest benefactors.

Liu said the state realised that the introduction of these councils was necessary in view of increasing public expectations on the performance of the local authorities.

“We feel that the local authorities can offer a much improved service to ratepayers and this proposal is aimed at lifting them to a different level.

“The state will continue to find ways to ensure that the people’s interest are protected at the local level and ensure that decisions made by the local authorities will benefit the public,’’ he added.