One residents observation of MBI's style of work which is repeated throughout the city leaves much to be desired.
By Martin
Jalleh
A grass-cutter (a
worker of a private contract company, I am told) appears in our housing estate.
He is fully garbed
– sunglasses, long-sleeves, saronged pants and machine -- all ready to do a
fine and fierce job?
He cuts the grass
on the roadside and along the margins of the road. It’s a very chin-chai (sloppy) job. I should know --
I do my own grass-cutting in my garden.
I can see that He
is in a hurry to finish it and to move on to the next road where some of his
colleagues are doing the same.
The cut grass is
strewn all over the road. A considerable amount falls into the drain. It’s left
there for days…weeks…even months at times.
The drains become
clogged. After some time, the grass+leaves+drain water concoction gives a
terrible stench.
The drains soon become
a perfect mosquito-breeding ground. (But when there is a dengue outbreak the
MBI comes to check on your house and garden – not the drains!)
When the residents can
take the stench any longer -- they call the MBI. Weeks later, a team of men/women
dramatically appears. They make their presence felt!
They dig up the
grass, dead leaves and rubbish in the drains. Take several intermissions! Talk
endlessly! Pretend to work extra hard when their mandor (overseer) suddenly appears.
They use a
wheelbarrow to collect that which has clogged up the drains -- and they dump it
by the side of the road – to be collected by a lorry which will come a few days
or even weeks later – or does not come at all, till the grass and leaves rot!
Then.... the
grass-cutter will appear again – to “create jobs” for the rest of the workers
in Ipoh City Council – which reminds us to pay our yearly quit rent promptly!
Ipoh – Clean?
Green? Or a “Has-Been? Let’s not continue to fool ourselves!
Martin Jalleh
Very true. Good to see that their SOP is reasonable and comparatively well written in accordance to the Local Government standard also. The length of grass from ground should be clearly prescribed and not just cut the top 10cm of the grass. It's cutting grass and not grass cutting indeed.
ReplyDeleteSecondly all debris should be collected. The works can be outsourced and NEVER using own workers to do the " meeting" by the roadside under the trees most of the time.
Supervisors should be called up for not carry out their jobs dutifully.
Hence assessment should be reduced as after one year of the change in government, performance becoming from bad to worse.