Last Updated: 2:43pm, Feb 19, 2014

PETALING JAYA (Feb 19): Nineteen councillors were sworn in today at the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ), leaving five vacant seats yet to be filled. Of the five vacancies, one is under the DAP quota, another under PKR, while three others are reserved for the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) recommended by PKR. Of the 19, there are six new faces including Halimey Abu Bakar and Dr Streram Sinnasamy of PKR and Ariffin Mahaiyuddin and Azizi Ariffin from PAS. As for the NGOs, the new representatives are executive director of Beautiful Gate Foundation for the Disabled Pastor Sia Siew Chin and Ang Ming Ern of Leaderonomics, a human resource training firm. Sia is believed to replace the previous sole representative of the OKU (special need person) Anthony Thanasayan who has been dropped. NGO in MBPJ halved since 2008 Cynthia Gabriel of Suaram is the only one retained from among the previous list of four NGO members. She said said since Pakatan took over Selangor in 2008, there were eight NGOs in MBPJ. “Today we are down to three. Our challenge to be heard will be doubled. The check and balance mechanism is shrinking.” She said Selangor has long been advocating for good governance and transparency, but the appointment process of councillors and its criteria has been “shadowy”. “NGOs were not invited to submit names to become councillors,” she said, adding the policy to cap councillors’ term to four years (two terms), announced in August last year, should not be retrospective. “The fact that councillors are being ‘rested’ after two terms is disturbing. How can  you use a new policy for past cases? “I have served more than four years, and I thought I won’t make it to the board either, but I’m in. So, nobody really knows what’s the criteria,” she said. The weakening of critical voices in the board will burden the new team even more as Petaling Jaya residents are expected to have their living standards improved. “There is no such thing as being too vocal. In contrary, we should raise the bar to make councillors more vocal,” added Cynthia, who has been labelled as being ‘noisy’ and speculated to be given the boot this term. Meanwhile, Mayor Datin Paduka Alinah Ahmad said most people in the panel are familiar with her pace and leadership style, hence she expect things to run smoothly. “As for the new people, they can slowly pick up along the way.” Mayor: I will miss Derek Fernandez When asked about dropped prominent councillor, Derek Fernandez whose tenure ended Dec 31 last year, she said the board will continue to seek his expertise even if he is no longer a councillor. “I miss having Fernandez. He is very vocal and can differentiate right from wrong. I hope that someone in this new team can be like him. “I have spoken to him to draft a manual on how to work in accordance with the local government law,” she said She added that although it is up to the state’s decision whether to reappoint Fernandez, she expressed hope to see him back in action in future. The first full board meeting is expected to commence on Feb 26 when the respective party whips and all positions have been determined. Under the state policy, the term for PAS and DAP councillors is effective Feb 5 until Dec 31, 2015 while for the PKR councillors, theirs are from Feb 5 until Dec 31 this year.

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