KUALA LUMPUR - A town hall meeting in Bandar Tun Razak slated to be chaired by Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Mansor tomorrow has caught several city MPs by surprise.
The programme, to be held at Institut Latihan Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur, is meant to be a platform for the people to voice and resolve their problems with the authorities.
Although invitation letters have been sent out to residents’ associations and several business entities in his constituency, Bandar Tun Razak MP Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim is in the dark over the town hall session.
“He is not aware about the programme and he has not received an invitation to attend, an aide close to Khalid said.
“We have checked with our staff and I can confirm we have no knowledge of the town hall meeting.”
Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai questioned the rationale of the ministry and City Hall organising a town hall session for only one constituency.
“This is the first time City Hall is organising a town hall meeting but why are they only focusing on Bandar Tun Razak?” he asked.
“Rumour has been rife that Khalid will give up his parliamentary seat as well as his Port Klang state seat after he resigned as the Selangor menteri besar, but it still remains a rumour for now,” said the seven-term MP.
“Unless the minister is anticipating a by-election in the area soon, the session is misleading and there is no reason for the minister to only chair a town hall session in Bandar Tun Razak while abandoning other constituencies.”
Tan said the ministry should not be selective in organising such sessions as ratepayers from other constituencies were also contributing to City Hall’s coffers.
“I have not been informed if a similar session would be held in my consituency and even if they plan to organise town hall meetings in other constituencies, residents must be informed beforehand about the session,” he said.
“It appears as if the people of Bandar Tun Razak are the chosen ones while those in other constituencies are being left out.”
Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng was equally baffled about the town hall meeting and had only learnt about the matter through a posting on City Hall’s Facebook page.
“This matter has never been discussed before and I do not know if a similar session would be held in my constituency,” he said.
Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Mansor.
“I have been made to understand only residents, businesses owners and several non-governmental organisations in Bandar Tun Razak had received invitations to the event. At this point, it is fair to conclude it would not be held in other constituencies.”
A spokesman for City Hall said the decision to organise the town hall meeting was made by City Hall and the ministry last year.
“We are kicking off the programme in Bandar Tun Razak, and similar sessions would be held in other constituencies later,” the spokesman man said.
“Another session would take place in Setiawangsa on the fourth week of this month and subsequently in other constituencies.
Asked if invitation letters had been sent to residents in Setiawangsa or other constituencies, the spokesman said it would be done later.
“We have not drawn up a timetable for each session but we plan to hold it on every second and fourth week of the month,” the spokesman added. - Malay Mail
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