Open Ballot System To Hire Waste Disposal Contractors

June 17, 2009

SHAH ALAM, June 17 (Bernama) -- An open ballot system is to be used to appoint solid waste disposal contractors at local council level in Selangor beginning next month, Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said Wednesday.

He said the system, to be conducted by a proposed audit committee, would ensure that there was no corruption and unethical practices and the people would get the best deal.

"We are firm in our belief that this (method of awarding waste management contracts) would allow all eligible companies to get equal opportunity to be appointed in an open, transparent and accountable manner.

"Further details on how the public balloting system works will be announced in the near future," he told reporters after chairing the weekly meeting of the state executive council at the State Secretariat building, here.

Recently, Petaling Jaya city councillor A. Thiruvenggadam claimed that the state government had a hand in allocating Alam Flora Sdn Bhd's waste management contracts to Pakatan parties, with Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) said to have secured 40 per cent of the deals while PAS and DAP allegedly received 30 per cent each.

Thiruvenggadam had alleged also that the Selangor government had prerogative over 70 per cent of the contracts while the remainder was left to the discretion of Alam Flora.

Khalid said a waste management contract would be in the range of RM20,000 to RM30,000.

He also said that the state government would seek the guidance of Transparency International on the implementation of the open ballot system.

On the takeover of water assets in Selangor, Khalid said negotiations were going on with the relevant parties and the state government would pursue an agreement which was acceptable and augured well for the consumers in Selangor.