Selayang Municipal Council chief transferred

 

(The Sun) – Don’t misunderstand me when I say that this is an unusual move and it has elements of victimisation. Zainal executes his duties with dedication but is now transferred at the time when the state needs him most.

Another head of a local council has rolled. The president of the Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) Datuk Zainal Abidin Aala (pix)has been transferred, less than 18 months after occupying the hot seat.

The transfer, the second in as many months after the transfer of Petaling Jaya City Council head Datuk Mohamad Roslan Sakiman, has caused yet another round of acrimony between the state and federal authorities, especially the Public Services Department (PSD).

In an immediate response to Zainal’s transfer to the National Institute of Public Administration (Intan), Selangor executive council member in charge of local government Ronnie Liu said it “was an unusual move” and there are “elements of victimisation”.

A letter from the PSD, dated Nov 9 and signed by its deputy director-general, ordered Zainal to report to Intan tomorrow.

MPS councillor Lee Khai Loon said the announcement came as a shock to the council and it does not agree with the decision.

“I personally feel this sudden notice from the JPA is related to the Batu Caves condominium controversy.

“We don’t agree with this decision, as it was unilaterally made without any proper discussion with the council or the state government,” he said yesterday.

Lee said that the transfer will also have negative implications on the Special Task Force set up by the state to investigate the Dolomite Park Avenue controversy.

“He is one of those in the know on the course of events which led to the approval of the project. Our aim is to retain Zainal as the head of the council,” he said.

Liu added: “Don’t misunderstand me when I say that this is an unusual move and it has elements of victimisation. Zainal executes his duties with dedication but is now transferred at the time when the state needs him most.”

The announcement comes in the wake of the controversial 29-storey condominium project near the limestone cliffs at Batu Caves by Dolomite Industries Company Sdn Bhd.

The controversy erupted after the MIC, which has been at the helm of protests against the two tower blocks two weeks ago, claimed the project was approved by the current Pakatan Rakyat state government.

However, Zainal on Oct 30 said that approval for the condominium project given in November 2007 – when Selangor was still under the Barisan Nasional administration.

Documents have since surfaced which show that three MIC representatives – Rajakupal Sinnathamby, Jayakumaran Govindasamy and Rajandran Muniandy – and Deputy Foreign Minister A. Kohilan Pillay endorsed the decision of the One-Stop Centre committee to approve the project.