I am a frequent visitor to the capital of Kedah and as off late, I have come to note that the whole city seems to be left in a state of neglect. The drains are clogged, the roads and pathways are not properly lit, rubbish seems to be overflowing and the worst is that this state of neglect is what the Aedes mosquitos need for breeding.

I inquired and found out that the residents are quite fed up with the administration of the newly-declared city which, if compared with other cities in the peninsula, lacks far behind in terms of proper care and maintenance.

Perhaps it needs a system like what Selangor has introduced, where the under-performing municipalities are given a broom as a present and a warning to buck up. I was told that the assessment rates and the quit rent was recently increased but from what one sees on the ground, the increase does not seem justified.

One would note that the area around Taman Golf, next to the State Assembly, where some of the Kedah royalty and state dignitaries stay is quite clean and well-kept but the recreation park beside the assembly is a poor reflection of the state's aspirations to be a developed state by the year 2010.

Billboards like 'Kedah Maju 2010' and 'Kedah Gemilang' is placed everywhere but what one sees does not connote the same. Rubbish collection is intermittent and this might just lead to illegal rubbish dumps emerging on the surrounding paddy fields. Roads, with the exception of the Lebuhraya Sultan Abdul Halim, Lebuhraya Darul Aman and Jalan Langgar, are in pathetic conditions.

If taxes are collected or increased, then the services must be improved accordingly. Nothing seems to be the case in Alor Star. The Menteri Besar's residence, the new wing of the Sultan Abdul Halim Airport and the new administrative centre on the way to Jitra all look very nice and majestic but it would tantamount to naught if the mentality of the local council and its leadership is questionable.

Kedah is a big state but if properly administered it stands to shine as an example of proper and disciplined stewardship. Sadly, this is not being implemented. Perhaps an audit check is badly needed to see where the funds are being channeled from the coffers of the city's administration before a broom, or even a cane, is presented to the mayor of Alor Star.