The politics of AHPETC

AHPETC has been dragged into court not because a crime has been committed but over procedural matters and unacceptable management practices. And the court seems to be questioning itself why they are involved in this case. Shouldn’t it be a matter that the Minister of National Development could deal with it summarily?

The ding dongs in the courts of law mean that the judges would be kept very busy trying to judge something that they are not sure if they should be judging. It means the courts time would be taken up instead of allowing other criminal cases to be heard. It also means that the AHPETC would have to engage lawyers for its defence and to spend money on it. Would the money come from the WP or AHPETC? And the WP politicians involved would be kept busy trying to absolve themselves from blame.

The same question I would like to put forth, why are politicians elected to run town councils and be directly responsible for the administrative matters of a town council? Shouldn’t this be the jobs of full time civil servants or statutory boards? Politicians are the least appropriate to run a permanent organization that is supposed to run continuously no matter which political party is in power. The daily operating function of a town council is an administrative function, not a political function or responsibility.

Why burden politicians to be the administrator of a statutory organization running essential services? And why compromise the proper and smooth functioning of town councils and the efficiency of running an estate with politicians and depriving them from performing their roles as law maker? Running town councils should not be subject to the unpredictability of the election processes. There must be continuity and permanence of tenure and the expertise and dedication of permanent staff.

Politicians should be free from the responsibility of running a town council. It is not what they are supposed to do. It is not what they are elected to do. Their primary duty is law making and making sure all the service providers provide decent and efficient service to the people in their respective constituency. Their role should be like the Transport Minister overseeing the functions and operations of the train and bus services or other ministers overseeing other essential services. If the Ministers are not satisfied, they can express their unhappiness and demand the operators to buck up without themselves being asked to buck up and be nailed.