Khir Toyo’s solution for illegal factories reflects poor administrative standard
The Selangor government’s decision to legalise illegal factories in the state is a poor reflection of its administrative standards and should be dropped. Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo’s rationale that if the state were too strict, the factories would move overseas, causing economic loss and costing many jobs is bad policy both in terms of regulating growth and as a precedent for enforcement action.
As civil society groups have pointed out, the amnesty offer for illegal factories makes nonsense of the development planning process, including the legal requirement to have structure and local plans.
Furthermore, the fact that the state executive council could so conveniently decide to disregard its own development blueprint lends credence to the opinion that its officials are guided not by the principles of good governance but political expediency perhaps, or private lobbies.
It is also disturbing that the state government, which is entrusted to protect the public interest, including health and safety and the quality of the environment, is willing to sacrifice these quality of life parametres for economic expediency or investor relations. Surely, the Selangor government’s self-professed developed state status would preclude such light treatment of planning requirements.
Indeed, the state government’s decision is a salient indication that its regulatory process has become seriously compromised. This should prompt state and federal institutions that are responsible for ensuring the integrity of governance systems - including the state legislative assembly, Ministry of Housing and Local Government and Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit - to bring the regulation of development polices in the state back to an accountable track.
An ancillary issue that has been brought into focus by the controversial decision is the question of economic competitiveness that has apparently prompted Selangor’s drastic action. It does not bode well for the state’s economic future if it must feel compelled to cast aside a diligently drafted development plan in order to retain the loyalty of investors.
This should prompt the state’s economic advisers to take a long, hard look at the fundamentals of its human capital development, investment climate, governance regime and support for innovation in order to sustain the momentum of its growth. If appropriate action is taken now to ensure these basics, there just might be hope that Selangor’s future need not be sold for a song.
Source: The Sun
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