[Malaysia] FT UMNO versus KL Mayor

The Star, Kuala Lumpur
10 June 2005

Umno-Mayor row heats up

Appointed only six months ago, Kuala Lumpur Datuk Bandar Datuk Ruslin
Hassan has unexpectedly found himself in the centre of a storm in
Federal Territory Umno politics. But FT Umno leaders say wanting to
curb his powers is nothing personal, writes SHAHANAAZ HABIB.

TWO months ago, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) officers seized a
makeshift cabin from an Umno branch in Wangsamaju that was being used
as a meeting place.

This was done without any prior notice and in such a rude manner that
the officers purportedly pijak-pijak (stomped on) Umno banners without
any regard for the loss of face and embarrassment they were causing to
leaders there.

“That was the straw that broke the camel’s back,” said FT Umno Youth
chief Datuk Mohamad Norza Zakaria.

Norza had to endure the humiliation at the recent Wangsamaju division
Youth meeting when some members, still reeling from the incident,
accused the wing of being dayus (a softie).

The FT Umno liaison committee secretary Datuk Syed Ali Al-Habshee said
the cabin episode really embarrassed them.

“We do not get any respect from DBKL. The rakyat come to us, the
political leaders, with their woes on drains, building community halls
and roads. But unlike other states with Mentris Besar or Chief
Ministers and state governments, the Federal Territory does not have
any such person to turn to,” he said.

DBKL has an advisory board where political representatives and members
of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) sit in but many FT Umno
members consider the board toothless as its views and advice are often
disregarded by DBKL.

“The Datuk Bandar controls everything. The politicians have not much
say in anything, although they have sacrificed for the Government.

“For example, an Umno member aged 60 who has struggled for the party
for years approaches us for a letter supporting his application for a
DBKL low-cost flat for his son. He puts in the letter but DBKL does
not even consider it and gives the flat to someone else.

“So where am I going to put my face when the Umno letter tak laku (is
worthless)? That member might think what is the point of supporting
Umno,” said one Umno FT leader who declined to be named.

While detractors say that FT Umno’s quarrel with the Datuk Bandar is
mainly over the power to dish out lucrative tenders and projects in
the city, Umno leaders argue that they only want to put forward the
people's agenda.

The problem between FT Umno and the Datuk Bandar is really not
something new – it has been raised time and again at Umno meetings
including at the Umno general assembly.

Lembah Pantai division acting chief Yusri Ahmad recalls there were no
such problems when Tan Sri Elyas Omar and Tan Sri Mazlan Ahmad were KL
mayors. But he says the differences started when Tan Sri Kamaruzzaman
Shariff was appointed to the post and continued when Datuk Mohamad
Shaid Mohd Taufek took over.

Even back then, Wangsamaju’s Norza explains, their cry was “purely in
vain.” He said the situation changed when the Prime Minister, after
the general election last year, responded to their calls by appointing
a Federal Territory Minister.

“It’s nothing personal against the present Datuk Bandar. But you can’t
have two captains in one ship. Putting a minister of FT in charge is
to improve the system but the Datuk Bandar still enjoys exclusive
powers,” said Norza who believes that the FT minister should be
captain.

“We need things looked at from the political angle. We won with a big
mandate in the last election. We can’t afford to have a Datuk Bandar
who has a blank cheque. We need to make sure our presence is felt,” he
said.

Yusri conceded that the new Datuk Bandar, who rose from the ranks, was
doing many good things.

“We don’t have a problem with him. I know him personally and he has
vision and a mission. I think he should be retained and given a
chance.

“The only thing is that he happened to come into office at a time when
we want to sort out this problem of the Datuk Bandar institution
having become too powerful.

“This was in the pipeline even before Ruslin took office. We are not
after him. We just want to make sure that in future the Datuk Bandar
does not contradict the Government,” he said.

Ruslin, who has been with DBKL for 30 years, denied that the office of
the mayor was too powerful and described Umno demands as unfair,
adding that he would discuss the matter with the Prime Minister.

Even this comment was enough to make the blood boil for some FT Umno
senior leaders.

“By saying that he wants to see the PM is a slight to our leaders. It
is as if he is saying that (FT Minister) Tan Sri Isa Abdul Samad is
useless,” said one very annoyed FT leader who declined to be named.

Nevertheless, the Prime Minister’s intervention may be needed to
resolve this complex situation.

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Datuk Bandar reports to minister

KUALA LUMPUR: The powers of the mayor or Datuk Bandar of Kuala Lumpur
come under the purview of the Federal Territories Minister.

Datuk Bandar Datuk Ruslin Hasan said that prior to the formation of
the ministry, the mayor reported to one of the Ministers in the Prime
Minister's Department, who was in charge of the Federal Territories.

“I don't see what is not clear. It's very clear except to those who
are ignorant,” he said yesterday at the City Hall building here when
responding to questions from reporters on the powers vested in the
mayor.

Ruslin, 55, Kuala Lumpur's seventh mayor, was appointed in December
after serving City Hall for nearly 30 years. He had served in almost
all the departments in City Hall.

The city, he said, had always been administered along policies spelt
out by the ministry.

“Although I have been here for some time, I'm now in a different
position and I have to look at things from a different perspective,
like whether the system is right or wrong.

“Now after six months, definitely I will do something.”

Ruslin suggested that Kuala Lumpur be benchmarked against other cities
to see how it was performing. – Bernama