KUALA LUMPUR: Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah has voiced his displeasure over the level of cleanliness in the state and wants immediate action taken to restore the state’s image.
“In the past, when people wrote to me, they often left out their names and contact details, but now they provide their full personal information. They want to be contacted.
“They have also attached photographs to substantiate their complaints. They showed proof.
“One even blogged about the situation in an open letter to me, out of desperation to get my attention,” he said in an exclusive interview with Bernama recently.
“I am fed up, really. It’s time for the councils to clean up their act.”
Sultan Sharafuddin said Selangor was meant to be a model of progress, efficiency and good governance, “yet my people are complaining that a walk through many of its towns and suburbs today tells a very different story”.
“I am seeing pictures of overflowing rubbish bins, clogged drains and unkempt backlanes. Litter-strewn roads have become a familiar sight. They even say it’s smelly to walk down some streets.
“Something is very wrong when residents — from Klang to Petaling Jaya, and Ampang to Subang — are all voicing their frustration over the decline in street cleanliness.”
Sultan Sharafuddin said that for a state collecting billions of ringgit in revenue and with modern infrastructure, such problems should not have occurred.
He added that irregular rubbish collection, poorly maintained street bins and lax enforcement against littering also pointed to a much larger problem.
The ruler called for waste management contracts to be reviewed and terminated if contractors failed to perform.
Sultan Sharafuddin said clogged drains were among the reasons behind the state’s recurring flood problems.
“This has led to the destruction of properties and caused unnecessary burden and losses to the people.”
He also called for fairer and better-balanced representation in local councils, saying they should not be made up of 100 per cent politicians.
“They should appoint councillors who are professionals, or retired individuals with the relevant skills and experience.
“These professionals can offer valuable advice and input to help develop the municipalities,” said Sultan Sharafuddin.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
