SINCE Pakatan Harapan took over Perak, one would assume things would change the way our local government functions.

Unfortunately, there is a feeling among the people that nothing has changed significantly in the modus operandi of how the local government functions in addressing their complaints.

In the democratic system in Malaysia, it seems that authority is concentrated at the top with little oversight on the ground, especially in the context of local government effectiveness keeping the city clean, roads safe, environmentally friendly and its wet markets in healthy hygienic conditions.

Travelling daily around Ipoh to work and sending my children to tuition, I find there are big holes and a lot of patched-up roads in Ipoh, especially those leading to the city council office and also places like First Garden.

These roads create a bumpy ride that could cause accidents and damage the alignment of vehicles.

When I meet friends from Ipoh Garden, the usual complain is about rubbish that is not collected consistently, trees not trimmed and clogged-up drains.

They tell me that rubbish from affluent homes are collected diligently while those considered average families are ignored. In Taman Lim, where there were previous reported cases of dengue, there are complaints that drains are clogged up.

Going to Buntong market every week, I notice it has become filthy, with dogs walking in the market where fish, chicken and vegetables are sold.

Worse, the fishmongers and vegetable sellers themselves have little civic consciousness by allowing such filth within their premises. For example, I saw a fishmonger feeding leftovers to dogs in the market.

It obvious that such behaviour is from a lack of oversight and enforcement of standards on the part of local government.

The current poor hygiene standards in the market does not reflect a desire to develop Ipoh as a sustainable and healthy city to its residents besides attracting tourists.

From the information from the people, it is clear that that local government functions have not taken a turn for the greater good in the context of new Malaysia.

Therefore, it is vital to review and analyse how our local government has functioned since the formation of the new government in May 2018.

Is there cultural change in leadership, management and  work ethics? Are there bureaucratic constraints that affect effectiveness in service?

Are there too many breaks? Do our local councillors perform to expectations? It is obvious that since there is no public accountability through local government elections, there seems to be work as usual where people on the ground do not feel and experience the effectiveness local governance in real sense.

The question is – has our local government changed its vision, mission and operations in line with Malaysia baharu? If not, the question is why. The Perak government is duty bound to explain to the rakyat. – September 6, 2019.  

* Ronald Benjamin is secretary of the Association for Community and Dialogue.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.