MORE Pics – PJ conferred CITY STATUS – What is the BIG DEAL? 10% Rise in Rates in 2010?; BIG Joke - PJ as a TOURIST CENTER

UPDATE: AUG 16 2006
Termizi is no longer PJ mayor
(see bottom)

The Sultan installing the Mayor with his seal of office

The Mayor sitting on his "throne" suggested PJ as a Tourist Centre

PETALING JAYA, a satellite hollow town set up in a rubber estate way back in 1952 has finally came of age and was officially conferred the CITY status by Selangor’s Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah on 20^th June 2006 and is the12th City in Malaysia. The event was held in the PL Civic Centre witnessed by Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting, Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo and other offcials including residents’ representatives.

Datuk Ahmad Termizi Puteh, Petaling Jaya Municipal Council president, was installed as First MAYOR for the City of PJ.

City status is given after it had met all the criteria set by the Housing and Local Government Ministry such as population, infrastructure, services and ratio of houses to people and amount of revenue collected.

The Mayor told reporters that PJ with its strategic location would entice tourists to visit PJ. He added “We are seriously looking in making PJ as a tourist area. Tourist coming to KL, attracting them to come to PJ before going to the outskirts and the rest of Selangor”
His other priorities are to overcome squatter’s problem by end of year, reduce traffic congestion and improve road maintenance. The annual assessment rates would next be increased in 2010 by 10%?

PJ as a tourist attraction? This would be a “pipe dream” and a real joke. Where would the tourists be taken to? To visit the oldest University, the Medical centre, theTun Hussein Eye Hospital, the Thai temple, Menera MPPJ and ….?. The Bandar Utama and Mutiara Damansara is only a major shopping-cum-entertainment area for PJ folks only.

No tour agency would drag their tourists (usually under a tight schedule) to come to PJ and get caught with the traffic snarls in so many areas. When visiting KL, there are enough attractions there to keep them busy and satisfied for the stay and the nightlife there would keep them happy.

Tourist attractions in PJ, Tall Buildings and BIG Flower Pots?

for a complete picture read NST:
Sultan declares Petaling Jaya a city

and from the STAR
Termizi is no longer PJ mayor
By K.W. MAK Wednesday August 16, 2006

Datuk Ahmad Termizi Puteh, 57, services as Petaling Jaya's first mayor ended
yesterday (Aug 15) after just two months on the job.

Prior to his appointment as mayor, Ahmad Termizi served as the Petaling Jaya Municipal Council president for 22 months, a tenure that has its fair share of controversies, particularly the move to announce an increase in assessment rates in November last year.

Ahmad Termizi's brief stint as mayor came as no surprise though, as he had admitted that no official letter was given for the term of service as mayor. Petaling Jaya folks were quick to protest on the increase in assessment rates and were unhappy with the lack of reasoning for the increase beyond the assurances that the increase was needed to meet the rising costs of
maintaining the services.

Ignoring the protests, Ahmad Termizi went ahead to implement the assessment increase, prompting residents to issue a statement of 'no confidence against the administration along with demands that the council reveal its accounts for public scrutiny.

Ahmad Termizi's initial response to an increasingly angry public was to keep mum, but the silence brought about more scathing attacks from residents who voiced their grievances through the media with evidence and allegations of corruption.

Issues involving dubious donations made by billboard operators to the council's sports club to allegations of council funds being mismanaged were dragged into the light by residents.

In the end, the silence (Ahmad Termizi had told his staff, especially the public relations department, not to respond to media enquiries) led to the Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah demanding an explanation in the front pages of The Star (July 3).

That public admonishment of the council, which the Sultan had just recently bestowed the city status upon, was both an embarassment and a death knell of sorts for Ahmad Termizi's career as the mayor.

Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo is expected to announce the city's new mayor tomorrow.