MPKj sacks 19 contractors

SHAH ALAM: A total of 19 contractors have been axed by the Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj) for going on strike. The contractors are alleged to have opposed the council's policy of holding open tenders for solid waste and cleaning contracts.

“MPKj councillor Eddie Ng said the decision was made on Wednesday, after investigations revealed that the contractors had stop carrying out their duties since Saturday (Jan 7).

He said seven new contractors have been appointed to take over with immediate effect.

Meanwhile investigations are ongoing to determine if any of the other 111 contractors have resorted to undermining MPKj over the open tender policy.

Under policy, the municipality will be divided into 47 zones each with a single waste management contractor.

Ng said contractors who feared being dropped mounted the strike besides threatening other existing contractors.

He said nails were found scattered across the roads leading to the Refuse Derivative Fuel Plant in Semenyih. Contractor’s lorries parked outside the premises also had their tires slashed.

On Wednesday, several MPKj contractors had received threats via text messages warning them that their vehicles would be vandalised if they carried out their tasks.

Ng said the scare tactic had worked because some of the contractors had failed to work their routes with excuses that they were having equipment-related problems.

“Quite a number of contractors called and cited that they were having problems with their lorries or equipment,” Ng said.

The threats have caused widespread disruption to garbage collection in Bukit Belimbing, Taming Jaya, Segar Jaya, Cheras Hartamas, Kajang Mewah and Bangi.

Ng said the municipal council is dispatching its in-house garbage collection teams to pick up the waste from the affected areas.

He said MPKj had been swamped with complaints about the situation and added that ratepayers had even resorted to going to his home to lodge reports.

Only two contractors have so far lodged police reports over the threats that were sent out early yesterday morning.

MPKj president Datuk Hasan Nawawi Abd Rahman met with councillors in an emergency meeting yesterday to discuss contingency plans to deal with the situation.

Ng said Hasan Nawawi, would be lodging a police report in the next few days over the incidents.


From Selangor Times Issue 57