by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, in Penang on Friday, 28th February 1992:
DAP Assemblymen will move a motion in the next State Assembly for the dismissal of the 24 MPPP Councillors if the MPPP refuses to allow Assemblymen, the public and the press to attend its meetings
DAP welcomes and commends the Majlis Perbandaran Seberang Prai (MPSP) for opening up its meeting to the presence of DAP Assemblymen, the public and the press yesterday although the meeting was quite a disappointment.
I have received a report from the Chairman of the DAP MPSP Monitoring Committee, the MP for Bagan and Assemblyman for Mak Mandin, Lim Hock Seng, on yesterday’s MPSP meeting. The meeting lasted for only 45 minutes and dealt with building plan applications and amendments to projects.
There was no discussion whatsoever of the problems of the people of Seberang Prai, whether in Butterworth, Bukit Mertajan, Nibong Tebal or of the many kampongs and new villages under its jurisdiction. From yesterday’s MPSP meeting, one would have thought that the 565,000 people in Seberang Prai are living in a perfect Municipality and the ratepayers have no problems of any nature at all!
The MPSP should have discussed the proposal made recently by the UMNO MP for Tasek Gelugor and Parliamentary Secretary to the Agriculture Ministry, Haji Mohamed Shariff Omar, that the Seberang Prai Municipal Council (MPSP) is too unwieldy and inefficient, provides services with low quality, and covers too big an area and should be restructured and broken up into several smaller local councils.
The DAP hopes that the future meetings of MPSP will address the many grave and long-standing problems of the 565,000 people in Seberang Prai so that the people can enjoy a higher quality of life.
With the MPSP setting a good example in complying with the spirit and letter of the Local Government Act that local government councils should operate in an open, democratic and accountable manner, holding its meetings in public, there is no reason for the Majlis Perbandaran Pulau Pinang (MPPP) to continue its meetings in a secretive and undemocratic manner.
DAP wishes to give advance warning that if the MPPP refuses to allow DAP Assemblymen, the public and the press to attend its meetings, the Penang DAP Assemblymen will move a motion in the next Penang Assembly for the dismissal of the 24 MPPP Councillors, for their refusal to amend their old ‘decadent and impotent’ ways.