EDITORIAL: CORRUPTION AND SETTING THE PRIORITIES RIGHT SHOULD BE THE CORE OF NEW MAYOR’S TARGETS

Dato’ Amirul Azizan bin Dato’ Sri Abd Rahim, Subang Jaya’s 4th mayor has his hands full from the moment he was sworn in on July 23.

Expectations are high that he will bring the necessary changes to the administration of the Subang Jaya City Council; cleaning up the council from top down to bring the City to its rightful standing.

Being younger than his predecessors at age 47, Amirul is expected by citizens of Subang Jaya to bring forth more dynamic ideas and set them in motion. Ratepayers also expect that his tenure in MBSJ will be longer than his predecessors who never had time to roll out their own ideas and see its fruition.

Surely, he would already be able to grasp an idea of how MBSJ is functioning on his second day in office. On his first day, Amirul only clocked out at around 8pm.

Setting the priorities right for this young city council would probably be at the top of Amirul’s mind. For ratepayers and business communities, at the top of the list is stemming corruption at every level of MBSJ. The days of kickbacks and favours should end.

Ratepayers’ expectations are high and it would do Amirul good to ride the wave and stem out corruption at the grassroots once and for all.

At the flick of his pen, he can start with:

• Strengthening Legal Frameworks:
  • Implement robust anti-corruption policies and ensure they are enforced effectively in MBSJ.
  • Introduce clear policies that outline the consequences of corrupt practices.
• Transparency and Accountability:
  • Ensure transparency in decision-making processes, public spending, and procurement.
  • Establish systems for public access to information.
  • Implement regular audits and reviews by independent bodies.
• Empowering Whistleblowers:
  • Create secure and confidential channels for reporting corruption.
  • Provide legal protection and incentives for whistleblowers.
• Building Ethical Culture:
  • Promote a culture of integrity and ethical behaviour through training and education.
  • Set up codes of conduct for public officials and ensure adherence.
• Community Involvement:
  • Encourage citizen participation in governance and decision-making processes.
  • Establish community monitoring groups to oversee local projects and spending.
• Strengthening Institutions:
  • Establish and build the capacity of an internal anti-corruption body and ensure their independence.
  • Provide adequate resources for these unit to function effectively.
• Leveraging Technology:
  • Utilize technology for transparent governance, such as e-procurement systems and digital records.
  • Implement digital platforms for citizens to report corruption and track responses.

If Amirul has to crack the whip, he must do so immediately and not wait too long before doing so. He must not bend under pressure from any quarters.

If he can do so, he will be the knight in shining armour we’ve all been waiting for- protecting the rights of stakeholders across Subang Jaya. The proof of the pudding is in the eating.

Good luck Datuk Bandar!