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If it has to  take the combined efforts of a full Minister and a deputy Minister to knock out a mere enforcement chief of a local authority, what chances are there that there could be a clean-up of corruption, malpractices, abuses of power and bureaucratic bungle of state and federal government officers – not to mention Cabinet Ministers themselves? Media Statement by Lim Kit Siang (Petaling Jaya,  Wednesday):  The press carried headlines of the sacking of  the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) enforcement chief Abdul Kudus Ahmad for being guilty of falsely declaring his financial status by  concealing his bankruptcy status on his appointment.  The Abdul Kudus affair has opened up a can of worms, not  just about local government but also governance at the state and national level.  Among the questions are:  Why no disciplinary action was taken against the MPAJ president Ahmad Kabit? Although Ahmad said he had not known about it earlier,  Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr. Mohamad Khir Toyo said yesterday that the MPAJ had come to know about Abdul Kudus’ bankruptcy status in October 2001, one month after he had submitted his declaration letter stating clearly that he was not a bankrupt – which was nine months after his appointment; (Star) and The role and responsibilities of the nominated municipal councillors, who have repeatedly proven that the nominated system of local government is inimical to ratepayer interests and grass-roots democracy because of lack of accountability and legitimacy of representation.  The unlawful moral policing by the  Ipoh Municipal Council with its indiscriminate harassment of young couples for “hand-holding”  has highlighted new dimensions of the bane of such nominated system of local government – creating an international  stigma not only for Ipoh but  also for Malaysia for social intolerance in a multi-racial and multi-religious society as a result of world-wide media coverage by  CNN and BBC. An even sobering question is posed by the MPAJ affair - If it  has to take the combined efforts of a full Minister (who happened to be a long-suffering MPAJ ratepayer himself) and a deputy Minister to knock out a mere enforcement chief of a local authority, what chances are there that there could be a clean-up of corruption, malpractices, abuses of power and bureaucratic bungle of state and federal government officers – not to mention Cabinet Ministers themselves? (11/6/2003) * Lim Kit Siang, DAP National Chairman