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Concession agreement
open for viewing: Teng
by Maria J. Dass
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
PETALING JAYA: The concession agree-
ment for the Klang Sentral bus terminal has
been open for viewing since Dec 16 but the
parties who have been asking for it to be
made public have not viewed it themselves
yet, Sunagi Pinang state assemblyman Teng
Chang Khim said yesterday.
Teng, who is also the Selangor state
assembly speaker, said Klang Municipal
Council president Mislan Tugiu had invited
the interested parties to view the concession
document at the council’s legal department.
“However, to date, no one has turned up
to scrutinise it,” Teng said.
Officer may have
to pay for mistake
by Opalyn Mok
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
GEORGE TOWN: A high-ranking officer of the
Seberang Perai Municipal Council (MPSP) will be
asked to explain why his department is charging
RM50 a day to put up canopies for festivals when
it charged only RM50 a permit previously.
If it is true that he “mistakenly” charged RM50
a permit earlier when it should have been RM50 a
day, he may have to pay the difference.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said yesterday:
“All these years, the applicants paid RM50 for
each permit and suddenly, under the new govern-
ment, they have to pay RM50 a day and we were
not even informed of this new rate.”
He said the state government only came to
know about it after receiving complaints.
“The officer claimed that he had mistakenly
charged RM50 a permit when it should have been
RM50 a day. We will ask him to explain why all
these years he did not see the mistake but now,
suddenly, he realises he has made a mistake.”
He said if it was true, the loss could amount
to “tens of thousands”.
For now, Lim said, the state government has
decided to charge only RM50 a permit.
| FRIDAY JANUARY 9 2009
On Wednesday, Mentri Besar Abdul Kha-
lid said the state executive council had agreed
to organise a meeting for all the stakeholders
and those affected by the relocation of the
bus terminal today so they could settle their
differences.
He said the concession agreement would
be made available to those who attend the
meeting. However, the concessionaire had to
agree to the agreement being made available
to the general public.
Klang MP Charles Santiago had insisted
that the agreement should be made public.
“Transparency and accountability are
among the principles advocated by the new
state administration and they should not for-
get that the public voted them in for this very
reason – because they wanted to see changes
and openness,” he said.
“The public, especially those affected,
want to be a part of the decision-making
process and by allowing them to view the
agreement, they can know the reasons and
justifications for the relocation and the other
issues surrounding the bus terminal.”
He said the onus was on the state govern-
ment to do this.
Santiago also said those attending the
meeting should have access to the agree-
ment earlier for them to have a more
informed discussion.
He said the two-day notice for the
meeting was insufficient as many of those
involved have to take leave and change
their earlier schedules.
Kapar MP S. Manikavasagam, who had
taken up the issue actively and had been
at loggerheads with Teng, is in India for a
Indian diaspora conference.
The RM17 million bus terminal,
mooted by the former state government,
started operation on Dec 27 after being
relocated from Jalan Pos Baru in Klang
town.
Among the issues are the high rental
of shops, the higher transportation
cost, and the distance from the town
centre.
Former Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr
Mohd Khir Toyo said the relocation of
the terminal was necessary to reduce
congestion in Klang town and to serve
the mushrooming housing areas in
Meru and its surrounding areas.