MPSJ councillors sworn-in, committees trimmed

MPSJ councillors sworn-in, committees trimmed

MPSJ councillors for term 2010/2011 were sworn in yesterday, seeing new faces as well as the announcement of an overhaul of existing committees.

It was announced 12 MPSJ committees will be trimmed and revamped into eight. This was made known after the swearing-in of the MPSJ’s new councillors.

Councillors sworn in

Among the new batch of councillors, six are from PKR, seven from DAP, three from PAS, four from NGOs and three PKR cum NGO candidates.

The five new councillors sworn in are Noor Azam Abdul Aziz (PKR), Edward Ling (DAP), Jaberi Ami (PKR-NGO), Azizan Jamaluddin (PKR-NGO) and Loka Ng Sai Kai (NGO).

New councillors: (from left) Loka Ng Sai Kai, Edward Ling, council president Adnan Ikhsan, Noor Azam Aziz, Azizan Jamaluddin and Jaberi Ami.

Adnan Ikhsan later announced that the 12 working committees have been trimmed into eight according to state guidelines. Some committees with little activity such as health, landscape, IT and tourism were merged to form a more inclusive body.

The eight committees include finance committee, business control and health committee, infrastructure committee, city beautification committee, service and IT committee, social committee, one stop centre committee and audit and corporate management committee.

“I hope by announcing the committee list we can start having meetings and doing things quickly/

“We should as well strengthen our ties and be creative for the betterment of MPSJ,” he said.

Tan Jo Hann: political appointees are equally good

On the other hand, Coalition of NGO and Professional Appointed Councillors (Conpac) chairman Tan Jo Hann clarified that his recent remarks on the “hijacking” of the 25 percent NGO quota was not meant to disgrace anyone.

“I am not in anyway saying that political appointees are less skilled than us (NGO). In fact many of them are giving good service.

“We just want to highlight the fact that our allocation seats are being unreasonably taken away,” he said.

After presenting a memorandum to the Selangor MB, Conpac will meet with the Selangor MB on 29 July.

“Although it is too late, we will still urge the MB to review the seat allocations and come up with a mechanism so NGOs have equal representation.