It’s open balloting for Selangor

(The Star) SHAH ALAM: The Selangor Government will use the system of open balloting for waste management contracts, Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim said.

The Mentri Besar said Selangor would adopt the system from next month to dispel allegations that there was “political patronage”.

“Our state administration is committed to being transparent, accountable and practising good governance.

“Now, the waste management contracts will be in the range of RM20,000 to RM30,000 a month compared to RM150,000 a month before Pakatan Rakyat took over the administration of the state,” he said yesterday.

Khalid said the state the open ballot method would allow eligible companies equal opportunities to be appointed.

“We hope this method together with the audit committee which will be set up to ensure that genuine contractors are given the job,” he added.

Waste management contracts make up a third of the total service management budget of a local council.

On June 9, DAP national publicity secretary Tony Pua had called upon the state government to conduct a probe on methods used to award waste management contracts.

Pua said an investigation was important as it could affect the Pakatan’s credibility.

Subang Jaya City councillor A. Thiruvenggadam, who brought up the issue, alleged that the state “had a hand” in allocating Alam Flora Sdn Bhd’s waste management contracts to Pakatan’s component parties.