Pernah nampak lori DBKL hantar bunga di Bukit Indah...??

Begitulah harta pembayar cukai di Kuala Lumpur disalahgunakan.

KL Mayor cancels RM32mil flower contract
Terence Fernandez

KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 11, 2009) : City Mayor Datuk Ahmad Fuad Ismail has cancelled a three-year RM32.4 million contract for flowers.

The supplier here would have cost ratepayers RM900,000 a month. The flowers and plants, according to sources, include those with short lifespans are for Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL)'s new tower on Jalan Raja Abdullah. The deal was signed by Federal Territories Ministry officials under the tenure of Ahmad Fuad's predecessor Datuk Abdul Hakim Borhan.

DBKL sources say the flowers, delivered every week, adorned the entrances of the City Hall building as well as the offices of several senior officials, including that of the Federal Territories Minister.

"The cancellation of the flower contract is part of the Mayor's efforts to right wrongs and questionable decisions and policies of previous administrations. Also, as times are bad, the DBKL needs to focus its limited resources on more important issues," said the source.

When contacted, Ahmad Fuad said he revoked the contract last month.

"I felt it was a total waste of funds to throw money on such extravagances, especially during current lean times. When the deal was struck, I think they did not consider the capacity of DBKL to pay," he said, adding that records showed the original pricing was RM1.5 million a month before it was negotiated downwards.

He declined to reveal more details, but sources said the company concerned is Ampang-based Bright Spark Sdn Bhd.

An online search on the Companies Commission of Malaysia drew no results.

Ahmad Fuad, who was Housing and Local Government Ministry secretary-general, had been tasked by the Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan to find a suitable candidate to replace Abdul Hakim last year, following numerous complaints from city folk on poor services and chaotic traffic management, coupled with an increase in assessment.

It was only when Kuala Lumpur voters elected 11 Pakatan Rakyat MPs in the Federal Territory's 12-constituencies was the magnitude of the people's disgust and anger brought home.

Following the election results, it was decided that Ahmad Fuad was the best man for the job and he became the city’s ninth Mayor on Dec 15, 2008.

However, criticisms has been as such that instead of running the city and improving services, the current Mayor is unable to focus on the job at hand as he tries to clean up the mess left behind by previous administrations – both at DBKL and the Federal Territories Ministry levels.

These include poring over questionable agreements such as the flower supply deal as well as the procurement of vehicles and maintenance and the relocation of squatters.

As the Commissioner of Buildings, Ahmad Fuad also oversees strata issues and building management matters such as common property maintenance of high rises.