#Malaysia Hi India learn....implement... Standardised procedures to be implemented in stages LOCAL councils in Selangor will be implementing common standard operating procedures to reduce confusion and inconsistencies among them. Selangor Local Government and Research Committee chairman Datuk Teng Chang Kim said these changes were part of the state’s Five-Year Plan. “Many traders conduct their activities in different townships and districts in the state. If we have standard SOPs and rules, it will make it easier for them to conduct business.” He said each council had been asked to standardise the application for several businesses under the “One Hour Licence” application. Businesses such as barber and flower shops, mini marts, accessories outlets and laundry shops will benefit from the move. “People can now apply for the licences themselves instead of hiring runners to do the job. Hopefully, this will encourage more people to set up their own businesses,” said Teng. Another major change will be the auditing system, previously known as the internal audit scheme. Prior to this, the auditors had an office inside the local council but the state was not convinced of their effectiveness in auditing their own colleagues. “We want the auditors to evaluate all local councils under the supervision of the state Economic Planning Unit (Upen),” added Teng. There was also a suggestion to appoint independent people to supervise the councils. Teng said initially, a Residents Representative Council (MPP) would be set up to oversee the work done by cleaning contractors appointed by councils. Teng had briefed the presidents of all 12 local councils, including the mayors last year, and believes most are already implementing the plan in stages. Two initiatives under the plan, namely the licensing of swiftlet farms as well as the standardisation of licence fees have already been implemented. The licence fee by-law, for example, was introduced in 2008, but the implementation was delayed after Pakatan Rakyat took over the state government. Councils will also have to step up their public relations efforts. Over the years, many councils embark on numerous programmes that are not adequately publicised, drawing criticism from the public. “More often than not, the man on the street does not know the name of his mayor or council president. “We want that to change, we want every citizen to know who is responsible for their area as well as the department directors and their portfolios,” added Teng. To help realise this, councils will have to put up billboards in strategic locations with the faces and names of the top management. They will also have to have a greater social media presence on Facebook and Twitter. Councils have also been advised to conduct events to bring them closer to the community including telematches, carnivals and most importantly, townhall meetings. Initially, the townhall meetings were scheduled every month with various MPPs, however, this has been changed to once every three months. Through these meetings, said Teng, the councils would brief the respective MPPs on projects in their areas. To improve transparency, local councils will also have to telecast live fullboard meetings and publish the meeting’s minutes on their website. Employees of local councils will also benefit from the plan, with additional contract positions, performance bonus opportunities as well as a better salary scale and perks, including improvoing the allowances of those in the Enforcement Department. Improving the quality of life is also high on the list with the Padang Cergas initiative whereby every field should have five elements, namely a playground with a children’s swing and slide, two cement benches, a gazebo and solar lights. The idea is to have each council build two fields a year for 56 state constituencies. This would see 112 Padang Cergas every year and a total of 560 by the end of five years. Since some fields only need to be upgraded, Teng has set a target of 500 new fields. Others include the introduction of free bus services that have already been implemented in Shah Alam and Petaling Jaya, increasing the number of enforcement personnel on patrol and the installation of closed circuit camera television units outside business premises. Stakeholders’ reactions Stakeholders in Selangor have welcomed the Five-Year Plan but said they should have been consulted in the formulation of the standard operating procedures. Consumers Association of Subang and Shah Alam (Cassa) president Datuk Dr Jacob George said although the state government had good intentions, their feedback should have been sought. “Why wasn’t it discussed with stakeholders? In fact, this is the first I have heard of it,” said Dr George when contacted. The state government, he said, was advocating transparency, but this had not been practised in the Five-Year Plan. “Any SOP should be audited, and tested to see if it needs improvement, we need to know if this will be allowed,” he added. Trader Tan Yew Leong from Section 17 said it was a positive development for the business community in Selangor. He said generally the rules and regulations were almost similar across the local councils. “However, having a common SOP would give traders increased confidence to set up more branches and outlets within Selangor. We will be more aware of our rights and the standard procedures should make it a breeze for us,” Tan said. The All Petaling Jaya Selangor Residents Association Coalition (Apac) former adviser Mohamed Umar Peer Mohamed lauded the idea of MPPs watching over contractors. Umar said the idea was mooted some time ago but the councils did not implement it. “We had suggested that the MPPs hire the contractors to ensure they are held accountable for their area. “The contractors or the person in charge can easily be changed if they do not meet the standards,” he added. Umar said currently, many council-appointed contractors were not following the rules or guidelines set. Line-up of may or and council presidents: The councils will highlight the names and faces of the top management on billboards in strategic locations. http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Community/2014/04/10/Uniform-approach-to-benefit-all-Standardised-procedures-to-be-implemented-in-stages/