Debate on the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Bill 2007 gave opposition parliamentarians another opportunity to flog their long-held wish for municipal council elections.

They made a connection by arguing that an elected system of local government would overcome the currently problematic delivery of basic services.

Parliamentary Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timur) said a fairly elected local government could rectify unsatisfactory performance by local councils.

"Why do we have to put up with the problems? Elections would solve the crisis of accountability in local councils," he said.

Yesterday, Badruddin Amiruldin (BN-Jerai) expressed support for the bill which will allow for the corporatisation of solid waste management services.

"The bill is a good news in view of lack of funds faced by local authorities," he had said.

However, Chong Eng (DAP-Bukit Mertajam) pointed out today that local authorities do not lack funds but that the situation "is a classic case of mismanagement of funds".

She cited the case of the Seberang Perai Municipal Council, which recently moved into a new building constructed at a cost of RM83 million.

"This kind of inefficient management occurs because there are no local government elections," she said.

Caution urged

Fong Po Kuan (DAP-Batu Gajah) urged fellow lawmakers not to hurry in passing the bill, saying that there are many weaknesses in its provisions.

"We need proper consultation before it is passed," she said, remarking that she does not know if the ministry had consulted anyone when it drafted the bill.

Fong also suggested that the bill be referred to a special committee so that the privatisation of solid waste management would not be a repeat of previous fiasco involving sewerage services.

"Why did the public refuse to pay (sewerage service concessionaire) Indah Water Konsortium (which the government had to bail out)? Because they did not receive satisfactory service," Fong claimed.

"(Garbage disposal contractors) Alam Flora and Southern Waste Management's records also show that their services are not satisfactory."

The solid waste management bill, if passed, will allow local authorities to channel funds to a central corporation nationwide.

However, due to lack of funds at local level, the federal government will have to kick-start the privatisation process by providing RM1 billion to fund the corporation for the first two years, before deciding on the next coarse of action.

Fong challenged the government's assertion that the public will not be burdened by the privatisation exercise.

"What will happen after the first two years? Will we see another Indah Water episode, with where heaps of cases being piled up before the (adjudication) tribunal?" she asked.

"I view the bill as a way to bail out local authorities. The Seremban and Seberang Perai councils owe the federal government RM441.2 million."

She criticised the government for "turning local authorities into political platforms for its own benefit".