COMMENT I welcome the announcement of a joint Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission-KL City Hall (MACC-DBKL) task force to scrutinise and improve the practices, systems and procedures of DBKL, in light of the arrest of a DBKL senior official on allegations of graft involving millions of ringgit.

Even though the terms of reference of the task force revolve around five areas involving five DBKL departments in particular, I urge DBKL to study and enact these seven suggestions for institutional reforms to ensure not only a cleaner administration but also a more efficient and productive one:

1. A full commitment from the federal territories minister and mayor to open tender system for all public projects without exceptions;

2. Public declaration of assets of the FT minister, mayor, DBKL advisory board members, and senior executives - once upon taking up the post and once upon stepping down;

3. An officer rotation system, whereby officers and senior executives are rotated between departments from time to time to reduce the possibility and opportunity for graft;

4. Ensure that DBKL staff are better paid to reduce temptation for graft, commensurate with a significant increase in productivity and coupled with a reduction in bureaucracy through more efficient use of technology;

5. Make DBKL's annual budget public, thereby allowing rate payers to see how their money is spent. DBKL's annual budget is oftentimes equivalent to, if not larger than, Selangor's and Penang's combined;

6. Hold an annual townhall session in each parliamentary constituency, where the mayor and DBKL can more directly engage with its key stakeholders - the rakyat - and ascertain responses to key policies statements before they are enacted;

7. Introduce democracy into DBKL by having mayoral or advisory board elections, thereby increasing accountability in DBKL's top tier administration. There should not be taxation without representation.

DBKL must work harder to regain the trust of the public after a major scandal such as the one being heard in court right now. It can do so by swiftly and effectively enacting deep reforms. DBKL must remember that it is ultimately accountable to the rakyat.

FAHMI FADZIL is the PKR communications director.