SHAH ALAM, Nov 21 — The state government has introduced several reforms to address bureaucratic weaknesses within the local authorities, which have been identified as among the causes of delays in public service delivery.
Menteri Besar Dato' Seri Amirudin Shari said significant differences in efficiency levels between local councils, along with inconsistent work practices, have often resulted in approval processes taking far too long.
These weaknesses prompted Selangor to launch the Speed Selangor initiative to expedite approvals for planning permission and One Stop Centre (OSC) procedures, thereby facilitating business operations and easing public dealings.
“For example, processes that previously took three months can now be shortened to 10 to 14 days, while six-month processes can be reduced to one month.
"Some local councils have successfully implemented these improvements, but others have not followed suit. Through workshops, we standardised these practices, and that is how Speed Selangor came about,” he said.
Amirudin was speaking as a guest on the 'Keluar Sekejap' podcast with former health minister Khairy Jamaluddin and former Prime Minister's Office economic director Shahril Hamdan.
He added that the reforms have also been expanded to processes involving the public directly, including home renovation applications, which previously took a long time.
“I asked them to approve these within 24 to 48 hours,” Amirudin said.
Commenting on why the local authorities are often slow to act, the Menteri Besar said one factor is their failure to adopt best practices from one another, as well as a comfortable work culture that hinders improvements.
“In some places, matters can be resolved within 24 hours, while here they maintain outdated systems. There is also a comfort network, as some officers have served for a long time and have family or friendship ties.
“This results in what is known as ‘little Napoleons’, so the entire ecosystem needs to be improved,” he said.
Amirudin noted that the proposal to hold local government elections is not a solution unless internal structures and work culture are first reformed.
In his view, local authority reforms are crucial because the public’s experience in dealing with local councils significantly shapes their perception of the government as a whole.
