COMMENT | Years of railroading local councillors into agreeing to issues, however contentious they were, have been passed down and viewed as precedents to be followed, like legal precedents.

Last month, the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) was caught in a tussle of sorts, although it was not of their own making. The Selangor government is trying to force a privatisation (which I had often described as “piratisation”) deal and wants the council to accept.

The council collects about RM18 million annually from street...