By Stephanie Sta Maria THU, 26 AUG 2010 10:44
SPECIAL REPORT ON KL The Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur has long been a political trophy for the government and the opposition and the competition took a fierce turn after 2008.
Prior to that fateful year, the Barisan Nasional (BN) enjoyed dominion over the city with seven representatives in the 11 constituencies. The tsunami washed out six of them thus putting the trophy in the hands of Pakatan Rakyat.
Now BN understandably wants it back and has begun its conquest with the key constituency of Lembah Pantai. But MP Nurul Izzah Anwar isn’t going down without a fight.
Right now though, her days are occupied by regular scuffles with Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), which she claimed is an immovable block in her path towards serving her constituents.
“Most of the issues plaguing Lembah Pantai, like enforcement, public housing and services, fall under DBKL’s purview,” she said. “Which means that all the opposition MPs in KL are at the mercy of DBKL’s officers, legislations and structure. And our role is made even more complex by the on-going dynamics between elected and appointed representatives.”
One particular DBKL practice that has Nurul gritting her teeth in frustration is its lack of transparency in issuing housing to the people of Kampung Kerinchi. Her requests that DBKL publicly display a list of recipients has gone unheeded.
“The list is crucial so people know that no invisible hand is involved in the distribution of housing,” she emphasised. “But DBKL is still continuing to operate based on its whim and fancy. There is no way of tracking the basic requirements to qualify for housing, and when there is no rule of thumb or consistency, the whole process is then open to abuse.”
Concerned over Bangsar
DBKL’s inconsistency has also grated on her nerves where Bangsar is concerned. As the vibrant hub of Lembah Pantai, Bangsar has attracted droves of developers, businesses and regular city slickers. Residential and commercial property often vie for space and priority.
DBKL’s move to change certain zoning areas to include commercial premises became a bone of contention among residents who viewed it as encroachment on their living environment. In most cases, DBKL axed the business concerned to placate the residents but Nurul once again spied double standards at play.
“The five-year lease for One Bangsar, a string of commercial property facing a stretch of residences, expired last December,” she pointed out. “Yet it remained open. In March, the KL Mayor (Ahmad Fuad Ismail) assured unhappy residents that Bangsar One would be closed down within six months. Now I heard that it plans to use legal assistance to fight to continue operations.”
“And yet a nearby shelter for orphans in Jalan Bukit Pantai was given a month to close down for the same reason. How can DBKL favour certain places this way? You will never see such leniency in Pantai Dalam or Sri Sentosa. DBKL has to be consistent and answerable, otherwise it is just contributing to the problems in Lembah Pantai.”
Nurul then cast her sight on Brickfields which is currently undergoing a face-lift aimed at transforming it from a mere township into a cultural enclave named Little India.
“The Little India project will definitely bring an economic boom to Brickfields, but again it’s a very top-down approach,” she observed. “There is existing artistic value displayed by the businesses and community itself, so I don’t see a need for Malaysian Resources Corporation Bhd (MRCB) to decide on what represents the Indian culture there.”
She also reminded Deputy Federal Territories and Urban Well-being Minister M Saravanan of his promise to supply her with the project blueprint, which she has yet to receive.
“As an MP there is a sense of futility when the appointed representatives don’t take your requests and suggestions seriously,” she said in frustration “It drives you to become angry and vocal just to force a response from them.”
Ornamental enforcement
Aside from stubborn business owners, Bangsar also faces an alarmingly high crime rate. The police beat in the midst of the thriving entertainment vicinity may very well be invisible, considering the number of brazen criminals who get away scot-free.
Just recently, a press photographer accompanying Nurul on her rounds in the bustling Telawi streets fell prey to a snatch thieve who made off with his camera.
“This is unacceptable,” Nurul said. “That police beat is a useless ornament and all it has done is erode the people’s faith in the police. Instead of fighting crime, the police are being misused to monitor subversive elements and political events.”
“A few weeks ago we were handing out leaflets explaining the subsidy cuts and the entire police contingent, including three FRU trucks, were present at the scene. It’s ridiculous and a waste of police resources. And at the end of the day the residents suffer because they have to pay extra for a gated community.”
Then there are the illegal car jockeys. They emerge at nightfall to offer a much-needed service to Bangsar’s party-goers. Apart from the legal aspect of their job, the patrons’ safety is a prime concern.
“Many of these jockeys are known to get aggressive, especially with drunk patrons,” she said. “We have repeatedly asked DBKL to take action, but the growing number of illegal jockeys has raised suspicions of a collusion between them and the authorities.”
“Bangsar isn’t prepared to address the needs of private car users, but it’s not too late to set up a system to legalise these jockeys. People need to be able to park and feel a sense of ease and comfort when visiting an upmarket place like Bangsar.”
Returning fire and pushing ahead
Nurul, however, reserved her harshest criticism for Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin. She is incensed with the Federal Territories and Urban Well-being Minister for constantly thwarting her efforts to deliver assistance to her constituents.
According to her, the minister has resorted to using government agencies to prevent her from holding non-political events in a mosque, which she has called a “disservice to our democracy”.
Of late, Nong Chik has been picking on both Lembah Pantai and Nurul, which has not gone unnoticed by the other MPs. While they bristled on her behalf, Nurul herself is unexpectedly amused.
“I’m touched because I didn’t realise that I pose such a threat,” she grinned. “And Nong Chik has helped me tremendously in attracting interest to the redevelopment of Lembah Pantai.”
“Where it angers me is when he tries to stop me from doing my work. I draw the line there. When he orders my banners removed and blocks me from running programmes in my constituency. I can’t even book halls under my name anymore! It’s disappointing to have a minister involved in such practices.”
“If he wants to fight, then he should fight on an equal playing field so that it is fair to the people too,” she declared. “I wouldn’t say I’m not worried but I won’t live my life always looking over my shoulder. And I will counter-attack when the time and place is right.”
Her mood peaked, however, at the topic of PKR’s new Federal Territories chief Zaid Ibrahim, who subsequently handpicked her as his vice-chairperson for KL.
“This is very exciting as KL MPs are often brushed aside because we don’t control the state unlike Selangor,” she said. “KL is an opposition stronghold and the birthplace of PKR. It’s crucial to ensure our success in KL before focusing on other states.”
“From Zaid’s first speech, it is clear that he understands the importance of this. Since losing Wangsa Maju to an independent, we are down by one MP and there is still much to do. We have our work cut out for us and we have to start now.”
