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STATE executive councillor Ronnie Liu (DAP-Pandamaran) alleged yesterday that power abuses in local authorities had wasted taxpayers' money.
For example, he said a Sela-yang Municipal Council (MPS) member had ordered council officers to carry out projects worth RM2 million before the last general election. He said until today, there were still contractors of the projects who had not received their payments. Liu, who is state Local Government, Research and Development Committee chairman, was replying to Mohd Isa Abu Kasim (BN-Batang Kali) during the question-and-answer session. Answering a question by Saari Sungib (Pas-Hulu Klang), Liu said the state government had not lodged a report with the Anti-Corruption Agency. "We encourage the current local councillors or anybody who has proof (of power abuse) to do so. "We do not want to blame anyone, but we want to tell the people what happened during BN's tenure," he said. Liu said power abuses by Barisan Nasional local councillors were also suspected to have taken place in the Klang Municipal Council (MPK) because the council's reserves of more than RM100 million in 2000 were exhausted in less than five years. "Local councillors, who were also state assemblymen, had abused their powers and forced council officers to carry out many wasteful projects before the election to buy votes. "Once MPK was the richest council and had reserves or savings of more than RM100 million, but now it has to use overdraft to pay staff salary." He said power abuses among local councillors and state assemblymen were among the factors that had made five local councils in the state to be in deficit this year. The local councils are Kajang Municipal Council (MPKJ), Hulu Selangor District Council (MDHS), Kuala Langat District Council (MDKL), MPK and MPS. Liu said when Selangor was under BN, its politicians were on the local council's tender board, which was why there were many cases of power abuse. - nst
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