YOURSAY 'If I was a ratepayer, I would certainly question whether the city government is getting the right bang for my buck.’

DBKL still in the red despite assessment hike

Faz: The trouble with Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) is its management is in Umno Baru-BN hands, although the overwhelming majority in KL voted Pakatan Rakyat in GE13.

The appointed management, in collusion with the Umno Baru-BN politicians, is focusing on their wants, not the needs of the KLites.

What more, the budget is approved by the Umno Baru-BN minister. It will too much to expect these jokers not to dip their hands in the gravy train as every crony is already doing it.

If wants overshadow needs, no amount of additional funds will be enough as greed knows no bounds, especially when it comes to Umnoputras.

Wira: Mayor Ahmad Phesal Talib, you head a city government that is not elected and is not answerable to the taxpayers there.

If I was a ratepayer, I would certainly question whether the city government is getting the right bang for my buck. Please show the public how those pedestrian bridge and road contracts are awarded.

Sabahan: Umno-controlled town councils have always given overpriced contracts to cronies for garbage collection, cleaning services, road maintenance, grass cutting, street light maintenance and open space upkeep.

In my town, all these are happening, and I can see the workers loafing all day long.

Anonymous #02382443: It is shocking that capital expenditure (capex) is close to the amount for recurring expenses.

Surely capex is one-off and should be generating revenue. It should not be consideration for raising taxes. Any good financial planner or accountant will tell you that.

Oh Ya?: Half of the allocation goes to emulations. With most of the jobs, be it garbage collection or clearing drainage outsourced to cronies, don't you think DBKL should be right-sizing?

Also without open tenders, how would the ratepayers know whether the jobs are value for money or purely to enrich cronies?

Anonymous #70881335: Selangor and Penang are shining examples of fine government and prudent management. BN will be kicked out soon if it doesn’t wake up. BN has fooled the rakyat long enough.

Not Smart: If DBKL wants to come out of the red, it should do this: Learn from the states where the books are in the black, irrespective of how small the state is.

If DBKL cannot learn, then the management personnel from these states should be seconded to DBKL. This is akin to 'lawat sambil belajar' but in this case, there will be no 'lawating'.

Do something good that benefits all, even if it takes one to swallow his/her pride and ego.

James Wong 13a2: Mr Mayor, you only mentioned that you ran three years of deficit budget, can you please clarify how much cash reserves does DBKL have in its bank accounts?

Though assessment rates did not increase, you forgot to mention the increase in rateable properties built over the last 20 years. Come on, please don't treat us as fools.

Goh Yu Loong: Be humble. Go and take lessons from the Selangor menteri besar or Penang chief minister. Both states have achieved surplus.

As the mayor of Kuala Lumpur, your job is to take care and safeguard the interests of KL residents and upgrade our status, not play dirty politics.

LogicalMalaysian: Once Selangor and Penang came under the Pakatan administration, one can see the glaring difference.

I am very sure with a Pakatan mayor, KL will not only see a dramatic change in its fortunes but also the hikes in assessment rates will not be necessary. Something must be done to have KLites to elect their own mayor.

Jeremy Ng: The raising of assessment rates by DBKL will not help reduce its deficits. It is high time that an independent body be formed to vet through all DBKL projects.

If the mayor is a commercial CEO, he would have been sacked long time ago.

Anonymous_40f4: The assessment collected by wasteful DBKL is always handed over to the wasteful federal government. Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) does the same.

DBKL hardly spends money on the KL rakyat. Just see the traffic jams and potholes on the road. The roads in the housing estates have not been resurfaced for the past 30 years, and the drains are in a mess.

Bamboo: If contracts are dished out to cronies at inflated prices, no amount of taxes raised will fill the bottomless hole.

While the elites are laughing all the way to the bank with access to cushy GLC/government jobs and contracts at inflated prices, people are struggling extremely hard to make ends meet.

Anonymous #70881335: Show us the accounts please. Meanwhile the roads are still flooded after the rains, potholes are still aplenty and traffic congestion has become a way of life.

Tell us, when are the improvements coming?

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