A Simple Formula for Gobind and all Elected Representatives, including Wee Ka Siong
While some Pakatan Harapan at the Federal level are in a state of euphoria because they have suddenly been picked to become 'ministers,' it is the people on the ground who are suffering.
The original meaning of the word 'minister' in English is: A minister is someone who serves the people. It is a tragedy when ministers in Malaysia view themselves as "Very Important Persons" (or V.I.Ps). They turn up late for functions despite having their outriders.
We want better ministers, better servants of the people whom we can respect. It is for this reason that many of us fought against the previous state and federal governments, and voted them out. We hope Umno politicians will change their attitude, and not just pretend to be "serving" the people. People can detect easily.
Laughable, But If Wee Cares to Read On...
Therefore, Wee Ka Siong's recent criticism at the Welfare Department, for example, will not carry much weight as people know what is happening on the ground. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim should thank Wee, and turn the table around by immediately ordering an investigation to see if the public funds meant for flood relief has been siphoned off. It is not difficult to investigate this.
And, my dear Wee Ka Siong, is this the first time that the people have been fed with cheap stuff? Ask any ex-prisoners and they will tell you that by the time the meat reaches their plate, it's nothing but little left of the meat and the bones. Did Wee and the government that he was in even cared about pilferage highlighted by the Auditor General's office? Or, did the minister of health look at the issue of bullying highlighted by the medical personnel in government hospitals?
Just to get braces done for my son at the government clinic will take 3-5 years' waiting period because there is only ONE dental specialist for the entire district. Wee was part of a government that should have solved this problem a long time ago. Therefore, Wee should stop being silly by suddenly becoming a people's hero as if the rakyat is stupid.
This will be the same reason that some day we may have to vote out PH and all its Members of Parliament, including those who are hardworking and performing, if the attitude of some of its current batch of ministers do not change. Some are already adopting the TP Swing, where complaints brought to their attention are treated like golf balls to be hit as far away as possible.
Going for the Kill
In Selangor, if Amirudin Shaari, Ng Sze Han, Elizabeth Wong and Izham Hashim had been more proactive to solve problems like Michelle Ng and Dr Siti Mariah, I would have been hopeful that they would return as state exco. Although both Dr Siti and Michelle are not directly involved with complaints from my zone, their attitude is different from what I see in the above four. There are, of course, several others that I see from their interaction with other NGOs and members of the press.
Because of my focus on PH in Selangor, I have, in fact, given the simple formula to the newly elected Damansara MP, Gobind Singh Deo. If he wants to listen, he will be able to continue his career as a member of parliament. Or else, he can choose to be like Tony Pua, and on his way out, only find that he is ostracised by the people.
Politicians cannot cry over spilt milk, when people reject them. Let me put the formula out for more MPs, because it is, in fact, very simple:
(a) Be on the ground with the people often enough to be known to them and know the issues that they are struggling. Ministers like to go to the ground during the first 100 days. After that, they are hardly on the ground. That's what we call 'hangat-hangat tahi ayam.'
While I can understand that Damansara is a big constituency for Gobind to be seen on the ground every week, at least for now, with PH already in government, he and other MPs have to start connecting with Bersih and TindakMalaysia to rectify all the re-delineation and malapportionment. After all, it was Bersih and Tindak that made a big impact on many of us to support a clean and fair election. But is the unity government even doing anything about this? If yes, when? If not, why not?
But, for now, Gobind will still have to attend to complaints on the ground, especially if he continues to recycle local councillors who are weak in the delivery of their services.
The MP's job is not confined to only the parliament, where everything is provided for -- including shuttle service from the ERL to the parliament when they could easily afford Grab or take the public buses. While I can understand why shuttle service is important for last mile connection, why provide comfort for themselves? MPs in a particular country in Europe take public trains to their offices.
Gobind should be aware that former Damansara MP, Tony Pua lost the party election. Based on DAP supremo, Lim Kit Siang's own evaluation, it was because he had lost touch with the grassroots within even his own party. There was a resistance force set up within the party to push him out. Complaints from the ground from ordinary rakyat like me, even such a minor issue like this hump which was brought to his attention fell on deaf ears for over two years -- yet nothing was done! Such politicians wait for people to mengamuk (a word in Malay with nuances that is hard to be translated unless we use words like, a 'major shake-up.’)
If Gobind is on the ground often enough, and issues are solved, he does not even need to campaign so hard just to win the election. Two good examples that I can quote are Hannah Yeoh and Lim Lip Eng, both from Gobind's own parties, who won by a big majority in the last general election. There must be something that all MPs can learn from them.
From my observations, both MPs are always on the ground -- and they are SEEN ON THE GROUND. When there is a flash flood, or when bags of rice need to be delivered, they are there. At the state level, I can also see Michelle Ng doing the same by watching her Facebook videos. We don't need to see videos of ministers pretending to ride a bicycle, please! We want to see ministers and elected representatives CONSISTENTLY being on the ground. When they feel the pulse of the people, only then will they be able to better represent the people’s issues in the august house. Some ministers especially Minister of Education have lots to learn.
When I talk about good MPs, I cannot leave out the example of Dr Tan Seng Giaw whom I had voted for all the years that I was living in Kepong. Every weekend, without fail, he would drive in his pick-up truck bearing a loud hailer all around Kepong.
In fact, whenever I complained about clogged drains, he would come a few days later to check it out, and told me, "Stephen, this is not my job. It is DBKL's job, but I will write to DBKL to get the problem solved." Whenever DBKL, as usual fails to do anything, Dr Tan would mention it in parliament to seek for the minister's attention. I know, because he would provide me a copy of his speech. That was how meticulous Dr Tan was.
Instead of practising the crab in the basket culture, Gobind should use these two MPs as examples that would help raise the bar for all other MPs in DAP. Umno should also learn from these examples. Perhaps, Wee should come to my housing estate, kick up some fuss, and get problems solved, but will he? I will Whatsapp him this blog post. I will bring him to enjoy better Nasi Briyani at the local Indian restaurant, and I am sure he can well-afford to pay for the meal with his MP's salary and allowances. To me, no one is an enemy. Life's too short anyway!
(b) Since Damansara is a big constituency, Gobind needs good people on the ground, but I doubt DAP has any good people these days. Recycling the same guys will only mean more problems for Gobind and the rakyat. It is unfortunate that two of the local councillors appointed by Tony Pua were more interested in playing communal politics than solving problems.
One of them has been reappointed but issues that were left outstanding are not solved, yet more issues are cropping up which of course, Gobind as the MP gets to hear about. There is no escape until problems are solved.
A problem like a hump built by MPS which hits the bottom deck of cars could have been easily fixed by reducing the slope elevation of the hump, but it took three years of campaigning. Some things could have been done simultaneously but they just ignored the complaints, which now pile up, rendering them ineffective in solving the ground issues. Meanwhile, other issues created by MPS add to the list.
For example, when they did remedial work to one of the humps, they could have done it on other humps that hit the bottom deck of cars. I have already communicated this to Gobind a couple of months ago, and as recent as yesterday Saturday 05 March 2023.
I complained to him after my friend's car bottom deck hit the car on Saturday about 4pm; and a second time, in the evening when another friend's car also hit the same hump. This time I was able to give him the specific location so that he could get it solved. The other hump that is also giving problem is located just next to guard house as my wife's car also hit the hump despite MPS removing half of the hump.
MPS and the previous local councillor created their own problems by getting the wrong people to build the humps; so, it is now their duty to fix all the humps. Or else, what do you want us to do if our cars bottom deck still hit the humps? Of course, we have to complain until the problems are solved! I am persistent.
That is why I told Gobind to put his foot down with these guys at the local council: Get things done right the first time. This is the kind of lessons we were drilled under Bill Crosby's Excellence thru' Quality (EQ) system during my tenure with an American multi-national company. "Do it Right the First Time" or "Pay the Price of Non-Conformance."
Most Local Councils Score Zero in Surveys
Sadly, such culture does not exist in the local councils which is why I have urged the Minister of LOCAL GOVERNMENT and Development, Nga Kor Ming to make some drastic changes to reform the laws so that the third tier of government can be under more supervisory control. At the moment, it is a closed system with the Yang DiPertua being appointed by the Federal. I have seen some good ones, and Malaysia is not short of rotten apples, too.
Begin with the two most problematic ones: MPAJ and MPS. Reshuffle, move them around, get them out of their comfort zones. If he is successful at reforming the local councils, the people would benefit greatly; but if he flops, the unity government and other future governments at federal level would be seen a flop.
Trust me, people like me will know if the ministers are working hard, and if there are sabotages by the government agencies under them.
We do not expect everyone at the government agencies to follow every instruction that is given by even Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim. For example, Anwar has said recently in parliament that he wants the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to investigate anyone including people from PKR as well, but what has happened to the case reported by former Otai secretary, Razak Ismail? Who is the bottleneck in this case?
And, what happened to the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) enforcement officer who went on an angpow collection spree which my friend Imraz Ikhbal claimed that the mayor had told him that Anwar wanted DBKL to showcase to the rest of the country that the unity government is serious about complaints like this?
So, this is my hope for Gobind: Get down to the ground. Or else, if Wee wants to be the people's hero, go for the kill! I will also welcome him to harp on the issues that he can read in my blogs such as this one: https://surat-terbuka-mb-selangor.blogspot.com/
There are enough issues on the ground to push PH out of Selangor, unless of course, they will shape up, but it looks like the Opposition is too weak in Selangor. Will we see the Green wave in Selangor? Maybe, but I hope not! But, if forced to, my wife and I, and our extended families, not forgetting the green NGOs currently fighting the state government over a number of environment issues have said we will sleep in on the day when you go to the ballot box in a few months' time. We will snub PH in Selangor.
Footnote: I do not need to comment on Pas and Bersatu politicians as their behaviours are obvious to the people. My hope is that we have better qualified people who are orientated to serve the people and play less politics. People are fed up with all the politics. If PN cannot find good people, at least BN reforms itself and become more voters centric for the sake of this country’s future.
For a more complete picture, read this https://straight-from-my-desk.blogspot.com/2023/02/appealing-to-minister-of-local.html?m=1
https://straight-from-my-desk.blogspot.com/2023/01/anwars-action-on-selangor-is-crucial.html?m=1
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