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speak up!
Daunting task for new mayor
THE unprecedented
announcement of the
appointment of Datuk Ahmad
Fuad Ismail as the ninth mayor
of Kuala Lumpur by the chief
secretary to the government is a
sign of things to come in Kuala
Lumpur that can only augur well
for its two million dwellers.
Traditionally, the Federal
Territories minister announces
the appointment of the new Down2Earth
mayor. However, when Datuk by Terence Fernandez
Seri Zulhasnan Rafique gave
way for Chief Secretary to the
Government Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan, it
heralded a new era for Kuala Lumpur City
Hall (DBKL).
To many, this is a message to all – civil
servants and politicians alike – that the
heads of all local authorities are civil
servants subservient to the people and not
political masters.
This is where several of Ahmad Fuad’s
predecessors may have been mistaken.
Their salaries are paid by the taxpayers, not
some political party division.
Thus, taking Zulhasnan, a politician out
of the picture, is a symbolic gesture which
is a tome to the efforts of Sidek and the
Special Task Force to Facilitate Business
and improve the Civil Service (Pemudah)
which he co-chairs and which Ahmad Fuad
is a member of – to shrink the influence of
politicians in the daily running of City Hall.
This is not to say that Zulhasnan or
anyone who holds the Federal Territories
portfolio is interfering in the running of
DBKL – but by setting the record straight
and defining the chain of command, it is
hoped that the people will be more confident
with the new management of
their city.
And to those who fear that
there will be no difference in
the administration of City Hall
from the days of Datuk Ab
Hakim Borhan, my money is
on Ahmad Fuad to bring about
the changes so desired by city
folk who for the first time voted
the Opposition in 11 of the 12
parliamentary seats in Kuala
Lumpur.
Ahmad Fuad’s name was
long-bandied about among
agents of change – spoken in the same
breath as the disdain of many civil servants
and officials in Putrajaya for Ab Hakim.
Many of them had advised Prime Minister
Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi that to
placate the seething anger of KL-ites with
Ab Hakim’s administration, someone like
Ahmad Fuad would be the best antidote.
Thus when it was confirmed a month ago
that Ahmad Fuad would be the next datuk
bandar, there was unprecedented joy from
many who were familiar with his work as
secretary-general of the Housing and Local
Government Ministry and the first president
of the Subang Jaya Municipal Council
(MPSJ).
He is seen as one of the few civil
servants with the backbone to stand up
against the special interests and political
masters. His run-ins with the Selangor state
administration during his time as MPSJ
president is legendary and ultimately forced
his transfer to his home-base as head of the
Penang Development Corporation.
His no-nonsense attitude was not only
against these groups but as a person with a
Ahmad Fuad ...
advocate of an
open and fair
tender process.
hands-on approach that gave him insight
into situations on the ground, he would
also put lobbyists and unreasonable
residents’ representatives in their places.
The meet-the-people sessions cancelled
by Ab Hakim are bound to be re-introduced
and Ahmad Fuad is also expected to have
a more mature approach to the Pakatan
Rakyat MPs who enjoy the confidence of
the majority of city voters. Giving them
offices in City Hall may be too much to ask,
but appointing them to special advisory
committees will go a long way towards
letter
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Climate change and health
THE wet weather and recent floods reminds us
of our exposure to climate change. These events
bring indirect changes in water and air quality
that have a serious impact on the ecosystem,
agriculture and the economy. At the recently
concluded Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) meet in Kuala Lumpur, delegates
said climate change can be expected to bring
more erratic storms that may bring adverse
health effects.
Global warming leads to a rise in sea level due
to melting polar ice caps and scientists predicted
sea levels might rise about 50cm-100cm by 2100
based on assumptions of a 4°C temperature
increase. A rise in sea-surface temperature
intensifies tropical cyclones through changes in
wave and storm surges and ocean acidification
leading to coastal flooding damaging coastal
ecosystems, coral reefs, coastal fisheries and
estuaries. The 2007 IPCC report reported an
increased in monsoon precipitation resulting in
a 5% increase in discharge into major rivers.
Rapid urban development and squatter settle-
ments in areas subject to landslides, accelerated
prospect of floods and natural hazards facilitating
the emergence of water-borne diseases. Global
warming, urbanisation and changes in natural
vegetation have an effect on the distribution
and abundance of mosquitoes. Rainfall increases
may lead to proliferation of breeding sites and
transmission of parasites.
The warming of the sea may double growth
rates of harmful phytoplankton. Changes in
atmospheric circulation patterns caused by
elevated release of ozone (toxic) concentrations
involving nitrogen oxides and volatile organic
compounds and particulate air pollutants by ve-
hicles, significantly contribute to poor air quality
that expose us (particularly children) to illnesses
of the respiratory system such as asthma, allergic
rhinitis and other respiratory diseases.
Temperature and humidity changes the con-
centrations of air pollutants and fine particulate
matter in response to climate change. Conse-
quently, certain atmospheric circulation condi-
tions increase the long-range transport of air
pollutants including aerosols, carbon monoxide,
ozone, desert dust, mould spores and pesticides
which can lead to adverse health impacts.
Depending on the location and present ex-
theSun | TUESDAY DECEMBER 16 2008
telling the people that their welfare is
represented in City Hall.
Being a supporter of the consultation
process, all MPs, NGOs and residents’
associations will surely find a seat at the
table, with the new mayor presiding over
discussions on budgets, traffic, public
policy and yes, the much maligned local
draft plan.
As daunting as it may seem, Ahmad
Fuad actually has to just undo what his
predecessor had done or do what Ab
Hakim had not carried out, and he will
enjoy the support and respect of city
dwellers.
One is certain that contracts with DBKL
will be more transparent as Ahmad Fuad
himself is an advocate of an open and fair
tender process.
I for one am hopeful that licences for
Ramadan bazaars meant for the poor and
average-income earners will go to the
deserving and not the well-connected.
Even if applications for grass-cutting
contracts endorsed by party division heads
end up on the desk of the minister, one is
assured that Zulhasnan will do the right
thing by passing them to his able mayor
who will get the tender committee to
decide based on merit.
No, I don’t want to be Ahmad Fuad
right now. He has a lot to shoulder and the
expectations on him are very high from
the prime minister to the hawker in Jalan
Alor. But Datuk, chill! As the saying goes,
once you have hit rock bottom, there is no
other way to go but up.
City folk welcome you with open arms
and helping hands as we strive to repair
damage and put KL back on track as a
city we can all be proud of as espoused in
tourism brochures.
Terence does not envy Ahmad Fuad’s
position, whom he believes is the best man
to rehabilitate DBKL. He can be reached at
terence@thesundaily.com.
posure, climate change alters human exposure
to ozone and solar ultraviolet radiation causing
non-communicable diseases like skin cancer,
lung, heart disease, and stroke.
Other quantified effects of temperature sensi-
tive consequence of climate changes includes
food poisoning, such as salmonellosis, contact
between food and pest species, especially flies,
rodents and cockroaches and methylation of
mercury and its uptake by fish and humans.
Climate change could alter the incidence and
geographical range of malaria and climate-sensi-
tive dengue largely confined to urban areas, it is
expected to impact the environment for popula-
tion health-system planning processes.
Urban air quality will suffer from rising ground-
level ozone caused by increasing emissions of
methane, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides
and this trend is expected to continue over the
next 50 years assuming population, economic
development, regulatory actions and energy use
remains at current pace.
Adapting to climate change requires diverse
strategies that could include physical modifica-
tion to the built environment. Based on the
projected global sea-level rise, the population is
at risk of flooding by storm surges.
Interventions through community responses,
planning by means of public education and
awareness campaigns on climate change is
effective in reducing the risk of diarrhoeal and
vector-borne diseases.
In anticipation of environmental changes,
local councils need to promulgate adaptation
strategies, policies and measures, including
climate-change-related disease monitoring,
surveillance systems and preparedness.
For the public health benefits, the local coun-
cils need to embark on a continuous campaign
on energy efficiency, renewable energy, including
transport measures to reduce air pollution.
For starters, local councils could create a
“Climate change/clean energy office” policy
to coordinate, promote interactions among
researchers, policymakers and residents to facili-
tate incorporation of research findings into policy
decisions to protect the population’s health.
Joseph Lim
Kuala Lumpur