Selangor has lost its lustre as the most developed state in Malaysia and is now the most undeveloped state, the Selangor MCA says.

NONE This was because of rubbish collection issues, floods in Kajang and Klang and other unresolved issues faced by Selangor residents, state MCA secretary Wong Kun Mun (left) said.

Based on the Health Department's figures, there have been 4,750 dengue cases in the state as of May, which was half the national figure, he said in a statement yesterday.

Wong, who is the Kuala Kubu Bharu assemblyperson, urged Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim to demand exco member Dr Xavier Jeyakumar's resignation over the matter.

He said this was necessary to protect the people of Selangor. Jeyakumar is the state health committee chairperson.

Also to blame for the dengue epidemic is the exco member in charge of local government, Ronnie Liu, for poor rubbish collection that contributed to the spread of the disease and flooding.

"Based on the Health Department's figures, 20 people have died of dengue nationwide in five months. If 50 percent of the cases are in Selangor, that equates to two deaths a month.

"This is very serious. Yet, PKR assemblypersons keep on politicising people's lives, blaming the past administration and canvassing for votes," he said.

No transparency

Wong also claimed that the appointment of rubbish collection contractors was done in "a clandestine manner", resulting in inexperienced and ill-equipped contractors winning the jobs.

"If the government is transparent, it will let the people know about the companies' backgrounds. The appointments of contractors were done behind closed doors.

NONE "Many inexperienced, incapable and ill-equipped companies were appointed," Wong said.

Selangor ratepayers therefore deserve answers, Wong said, alleging that some of the companies did not even posses garbage collection vehicles.

Meanwhile, Jeyakumar said the Health Department's figures were not related to the problems with rubbish collection.

He said the ‘hotspots' for Aedes mosquito breeding were abandoned housing projects, abandoned properties, school compounds and government premises.

The Health Ministry should not politicise the matter and act professionally in its future public announcements, suggested Jeyakumar.