Set annual timetable for public feedback on city budget, DBKL told

KLRA+SD, a residents' group, has urged Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to establish a fixed annual timetable for public input on the city's budget. This comes after only 122 individuals responded to the budget survey this year, which ran from April 30 to June 15. The group emphasizes that people should be informed about when consultations will occur, how they can participate, and what will happen to their suggestions.

The low response rate from this year's survey, which was extended due to the initial low turnout, should prompt DBKL to broaden its outreach efforts. The group questions DBKL's presentation of the survey's findings at a focus group discussion on September 8, alleging that many community leaders were unaware of the event. Some participants were invited after taking the survey, while others were invited through various channels, such as MPs' offices, the federal territories residents' representative councils, or contacts within DBKL.

KLRA+SD stresses the absence of a publicly disclosed methodology behind participant identification and selection, questioning how DBKL ensures meaningful opportunities for diverse communities and groups to participate. The group calls on DBKL to publish the budget survey's guidelines by December 31 and establish a timetable for consultations, decisions on proposals, spending approval, and project outcomes. They argue that a meaningful budget consultation cannot conclude with merely asking the community.