Why did MBPJ spend so much?

IT was recently reported that the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) spent RM1.2 million on a pedestrian walkway in Section 5, Petaling Jaya. There was uproar from residents because of the exorbitant cost involved.

By KW Mak (The Nut Graph)

In the report, MBPJ Mayor Datuk Mohamad Roslan Sakiman said he knew nothing of the expenditure and that he would not have approved it had he been aware. This however begs the question as to what kind of control measures are in place for the council's expenditure.

Assuming that the figure involved, as provided by the residents who said they were reliably informed, accurately reflects the true cost of the pedestrian walkway, questions need to be raised.

Questions aplenty

MBPJ councillors passed a resolution in November 2008 whereby all projects that cost more than RM20,000 must be first tabled at the finance committee. This committee is tasked with vetting through the applications based on several criteria such as the need for the project, the value to the cost, and the urgency.

Despite this mechanism of control, the pedestrian walkway project was never tabled at the finance committee meeting.

Read more at: http://www.thenutgraph.com/why-did-mbpj-spend-so-much