We have the power: MBPJ full board meet ends abruptly as 19 councillors walk out

A LARGE group of Petaling Jaya city councillors walked out of Tuesday's (May 30) full board meeting after a heated argument about their decision-making powers during a One-Stop Centre (OSC) discussion.

A total of 19 out of 24 councillors disagreed with a statement by mayor Datuk Mohamad Azhan Md Amir that the councillors were not decision-makers in the matter but were only there to give input on social and political aspects.

The matter concerned the approval of a development project in Lorong Sultan.

Councillor Terence Tan said the OSC had earlier rejected the project due to the proposed plot ratio being higher than the city’s permissible limit at the time of consideration.

“The developer then filed an appeal with the State Appeal Board.

“Meanwhile, the state came up with a new guideline on the plot ratio.

“The developer submitted another application to the OSC for consideration, following the state’s new guideline.

“At the OSC meeting last month, three out of the four councillors, the majority at the meeting, requested that the developer withdraw its appeal before the new application can be considered.

“So when the OSC meeting minutes were being read out for endorsement at the full board meeting, many councillors questioned the manner in which the approval was being given,” he said.

Tan said he and many of the other councillors who walked out were not against the development but merely wanted MBPJ to follow procedure.

“The matter is still with the State Appeal Board. It is not right for the OSC to make a decision,” he said.

The walkout led to the full board meeting ending abruptly due to lack of quorum.