Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department M Kayveas has clarified that he had meant to highlight that local councils were 'societies run in secrecy' and not 'secret societies'.

He claimed that the media had twisted the issue for their own 'excitement'.

However, the deputy minister pointed out that the words have generated much attention and publicity on the issue.

He also remained steadfast in his stand that local councils were riddled with corruption and this must be addressed to realise the prime minister's aim for a clean administration.

"If corruption needs to be eradicated, it is most worst in local governments...from cutting grass to collecting rubbish, there is corruption," he claimed.

"We need to change, the public are suffering," he stressed when met at the Parliament building yesterday.

Focus on the issue

Kayveas also advised his detractors not to miss the woods for the trees.

"Let's not pick one word and go back to the same style in the Malaysian culture where they don't talk about the issue and improvements but about the person speaking about it.

"I don't understand why the council president and councillors are making comments against me when I'm actually talking about them not having powers because the councils are corrupted," he said.

Instead, he said those concerned should look into his remarks and take them as a challenge.

Kayveas, who is also the People's Progressive Party (PPP) president, had left top officials in some councils fuming when he likened the councils to triads over the weekend.

He had also described the councils as 'tax collecting agencies' and criticised them for spending more than their income.

Asked whether he had received any specific complaints from the public regarding local councils, the deputy minister replied that he had received thousands over the past 20 years.

Although some councils were doing a good job, the majority of them were 'lacking and corrupted', he said, adding that the councils should be 'people-friendly and council-proud'.

Kayveas also alleged that local councils were selective in their enforcement where some food stalls were allowed to place their chairs along the roads while others were forbidden from doing so.

Glory days

Asked why he is kicking up a storm on this now, he replied: "I've been talking about local governance for some 15, 20 years ago, before I became the president of PPP, before I became the deputy housing and local government minister. I talked about it then and I will continue to talk about it.

"Whether I'm going to succeed is left to time. But at least, let me start. Everybody wants to play safe," he said.

Kayveas added that he stirred up the issue to get some feedback and find ways to improve the situations.

On whether he was trying to restore PPP's glory days, the party president said: "Yes I am. PPP is synonymous with local government. We have always been with the people on the ground."