KUALA SELANGOR, 19 Jan: Selangor’s move to hold dialogues with local community leaders before starting a development project has managed to save public funds from being used by irresponsible people.

This was successfully done when the state government is able to identify the real needs of the local community with an estimated cost of a project that will be implemented through dialogue programmes held.

The Chief Minister of Selangor, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, said that the ‘bottom-up’ concept has been found to ensure that every cent allocated reached the target group.

“We hold ‘bottom-up’ programmes and not ‘top-down’; this means that it starts at the grassroots level up to the state government.

“The ‘top-down” development projects causes the RM100 that is to be given to villages become less than RM50 because 50 percent is lost in the project.

“That is why we practice the ‘bottom-up’ method and through this way, the people know the value and cost of a project,” he said during the Opening Ceremony of the Solar Energy LED Street Lights Installation at the Simpang Tiga Chinese Vernacular School (SJKC) yesterday.

The Selangor Pakatan Rakyat (PR) Government, while striving to reduce bureaucracy in its administration, is also working to ensure that every cent spent will not be embezzled and this will give a maximum impact on the people.

The approach is also in line with the ‘value for money’ concept often emphasised by Abdul Khalid.

For the success of the concept, the state government will often hold dialogues with community leaders to hear out their proposals before a project is undertaken.

In addition to that, the local community led by the Chairman of the Village Security Community (JKKK), under the monitoring of the Penghulu (Village Chief) also has the opportunity to submit their proposals and the estimated costs of a certain project to the state government.

Meanwhile, at the same event, Abdul Khalid also managed to view 20 Solar LED light installed at the locations identified as being high risk for road accidents and theft crimes.

The locations include some roads in Kampung Ijok and Kampung Holmwood.

The Assemblyman for Ijok, Dr Idris Ahmad, said that the street lamps are said to be the first of its kind in this country, contributed by Rui Guang Electronic Ltd to fulfill its social responsibility to the people of Ijok.