Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) president transferred 24 hours amid row over Batu Caves condo...

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14 November 2012

Pasai kondo Batu Caves, YDP Majlis Perbandaran Selayang diarah bertukar 24 jam...

Exco kanan kerajaan Selangor Ronnie Liu hari ini berkata, beliau mendapat maklumat bahawa Yang Dipertua Majlis Perbandaran Selayang (MPS) Datuk Zainal Abidin A'ala telahpun diarahkan bertukar.
Liu percaya arahan pertukaran itu dibuat ekoran kenyataan Zainal pada 30 Oktober lalu yang menafikan dakwaan BN bahawa projek kondominium Dolomite Park Avenue itu diluluskan semasa pentadbiran Pakatan Rakyat. 
"Saya rasa sedih kerana kita akan kehilangan seorang YDP yang rajin dan telah membuktikan beliau boleh tangani isu-isu penting.
"Tapi sekarang tiba-tiba dia dapat arahan ditukarkan ke tempat lain. Jadi jangan salahkan saya kalau saya rasa ini merupakan satu tindakan yang luar biasa.

"Saya rasa tidak puas hati (dengan pertukaran) selaku ketua kepada kerjaan tempatan di negeri Selangor," katanya yang mendakwa mendapat tahu mengenai perkara itu pada Jumaat lalu.
Semakan Malaysiakini dengan pejabat MPS petang ini mendapati, arahan bertukar itu berkuatkuasa esok dan hari ini merupakan hari terakhir Zainal berkhidmat di MPS. 
Seorang pegawai di bahagian hal ehwal korporat itu, yang memperkenalkan diri dengan nama Mohd Zin berkata, arahan pertukaran tersebut hanya diketahui pagi ini.
"Ini perkara biasa di kalangan pegawai PTD (pegawai tadbir dan diplomatik)," katanya ketika dihubungi.
Pegawai berkenaan juga berkata, Zainal Abidin akan ditukarkan ke ibu pejabat Institut Tadbiran Awam Negara- malaysiakini 
YDP MPS terima notis pindah 24 jam, dipercayai berkait projek kondo Batu Caves

Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) president transferred 24 hours amid row over Batu Caves condo...

Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) president Datuk Zainal Abidin Aala was today given a surprise 24-hour transfer notice to the Institute of Public Administration (INTAN), in a move that is believed to be connected with a controversial 29-storey condomininum project at Batu Caves approved in 2007.
The transfer notice, which was issued by the Deputy Director of the Public Service Department (PSD) and received by MPS via email early this morning, did not state in detail Zainal Abidin’s new position, but only ordered him to report to INTAN immediately.
Lee Khai Loon, an MPS Councillor confirmed the matter when contacted by The Malaysian Insider, but he also said he has not received the full details of the sudden transfer.
“I myself just received this news... its details, I have not received.
“(But) already confirmed Datuk YDP (Zainal Abidin) (picture) will be moved to INTAN starting from tomorrow based on a notice today issued by the JPA deputy director through email,” he told The Malaysian Insider.
Lee also expressed surprise at the move, as there remains many unresolved matters including the budget preparation and discussion over the 29-storey condominium at the Batu Caves area.
“We (council members) are suprised... there’s no transition period for YDP (Zainal Abidin) at all. We are also not sure what is the reason he was moved.
“Many matters are still unresolved... the budget preparations for the 29-storey condominium at Batu Caves is also under discussion, but now suddenly, he was moved.

Too cooperative with Pakatan?
The condominium project was approved in 2007 by MPS when BN ruled Selangor. Recently, MIC has protested against the project due to its proximity with the temple complex. 
Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim has since ordered for construction works to cease pending a review while Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has promised to scrap the project should BN take Selangor during the next general election.
  
When contacted, MPS councillor Lee Khai Loon believed that Zainail Abidin's sudden departure after serving just over a year, was purely political. 
"The YDP has been tasked with investigating how the project was approved in the first place. He is also the person who signed the stop work order.  
"He was professional and cooperative with the state government. So it looks like his transfer was due to political considerations," said Lee. 
Unlike council members, the appointment of local government heads is under the purview of the civil service department in Putrajaya and not the state. 
Yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak promised to cancel the controversial luxury condominium being built near Batu Caves that was approved by a Barisan Nasional (BN) administration in 2007, if the BN coalition wins back Selangor from Pakatan Rakyat (PR), stepping up the game in the battle for votes ahead of the coming general elections.
“Maybe it is connected to the matter,” Lee said today, without dismissing the possibility of a link between the sudden transfer and the condominium project in the Batu Caves area.
Najib also said the BN government would apply to make Batu Caves a UNESCO World Heritage site after Malaysia’s term as a member of the World Heritage Commission ends in 2015.
The 29-storey Dolomite Park Avenue condominium project has turned into a political crisis as Batu Caves is the religious focal point of Hindu Indians, who form the majority of the 1.7 million Indians and are a key voting group in many urban seats in Selangor.
About 300 Hindu and non-governmental activists joined a “Save Batu Caves” rally in the Batu Caves temple complex to protest against the condominium construction on October 26, saying it was an environmental risk that would jeopardise the temple grounds but did not furnish proof to substantiate their allegations. 
The project was given the nod by state authorities in 2007, but MIC and Barisan Nasional (BN) have in recent weeks pressured the current Pakatan Rakyat (PR) administration into calling a halt to the project amid a battle for Indian votes.-malaysian insider

Batu Caves condo: 'Guilty parties will face justice'...

The prime minister's rousing pledge to stop the 29-storey condominium project planned next to Batu Caves has only strengthened the Selangor government’s resolve to “undo the previous BN government's negligence”. 
In a statement today, Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said the Pakatan Rakyat-led state government will only correct BN's mistakes, it will also bring those responsible for “negligence and abuse” to justice.

“The people of Selangor must weigh the PM's ‘promise’ carefully, considering that it was the BN-led Selangor government which approved the project,” he said.
“We put the people's interests first and will not hesitate to take any party to justice, if any form of negligence or abuse is found.” 
Khalid also said it was “unprofessional” of premier and BN head Najib Abdul Razak (right) to vow to cancel the project if the BN wrests power from Pakatan in Selangor in the upcoming general election.

He said this clearly shows that Najib is merely seeking popularity and has no interest in solving the problem.

“His statement ... has a negative impact on good governance and integrity ... as the cancellation of any (approved) project must follow procedures,” noted Khalid.

“Najib's behaviour has motivated the Selangor government to administer (the state) in a more professional, transparent and responsible manner compared to the inconsistent BN.”
Head of review panel appointed
Khalid announced that the state government will appoint former Malaysian Investment Development Authority (Mida) director N Sadasivan to chair a committee that will review the condominium project.
Sadasivan was chosen as he is experienced in matters of management, and has held directorships in prominent organisations like Bank Negara Malaysia, Danaharta Nasional Bhd and Petronas.
“He will be assisted by several committee members, to be announced at a later time, consisting of professionals and independent parties who will assist the government in handling this issue,” he said.

Selangor town and country planning department deputy director Norasiah Bee will act as the committee secretary, while the department will provide any assistance required.

“I will meet with Sadasivan and the other committee members this week to inform of them of this decision,” Khalid said.

Among others, he said, the committee will review all development projects that have been completed and planned in the Batu Caves area, taking into consideration community well being, Hindu interests, environment and prevailing regulations.

“The state feels that this committee will be able to add value to the effort to have the Batu Caves listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site,” he added.-malaysiakini