WHEN we first started on the inaugural edition of SJEcho back in 2007 we had set our sights on developing and nurturing a community media platform that was parallel to the mainstream media. I remember the day when I was first challenged by former Subang Jaya State Assemblyman Dato Lee Hwa Beng to take up this feat. My reply was “Yes! It can be done but it must be free from political intervention and it must be self-financing through commercial advertisement.”
Our focus back then and still is to bring community news and initiatives to the people in Subang Jaya. The State Assemblyman back then had no say in the content we put together on a monthly basis. How we fill up our pages and what we fill it up with was totally within our editorial control and within the ambit of the law.
We took on the role of the Community Watch Dog, bringing news to the community and also highlighting community initiatives happening around the neighbourhood we call Subang Jaya. We decided to focus our attention in Subang Jaya and not be distracted with what’s happening beyond our boundaries. I can truly attest that we have stayed true to our vision and mission right up to this day.
Just after a few months, the political tsunami swept through our nation and Selangor had a change in government. Many corporate partners and community leaders were at a lost. They had asked us “What should we do?” Our reply was simple “We work with the government of the day”.
We have once again stayed true to working with the government of the day while maintaining our press freedom. We worked hand-in-hand with YB Hannah Yeoh during her two-terms and subsequently with our current ADUN, Michelle Ng.
Maintaining press freedom and protecting it I should say is the fundamental core value of a democracy. As a media practitioner, I would probably see eye-to-eye on most matters that concern the people of Subang Jaya but there will be times I will differ in opinion. After all, isn’t that the essence of democracy?
My role as a media practitioner is probably slightly different from those in the mainstream. I live in Subang Jaya and I am also a voter in Subang Jaya. What I see in the daily affairs of this community is perhaps given more attention since any decision made by the powers that be will also affect me as a taxpayer. I may be more vocal (sometimes as a media practitioner but also at times as a voter/taxpayer) but that doesn’t mean I am being disrespectful. While my views may differ, I don’t think I can be wrong all the time.
As a journalist of more than 30 years, I have been threatened, scolded and called names I can’t even find in the dictionary. I have met very pleasant people and at times not so pleasant ones too. In Subang Jaya, I have met and worked with four mayors in a span of a mere few years since we became a city. I have lost count of the number of OCPDs I have worked with in Subang Jaya as well as the number of station chiefs for the Fire & Rescue Department in SS17. Since 2007, we are now with our 3rd Member of Parliament.
Often, people misunderstand and misinterpret our role as a community watch dog. This could stem from ignorance, envy or just plain “tidak apa” because of the you know better attitude. These few paragraphs above hope to provide some enlightenment of what could have been confusing to many before.
The last chapter of 2024 is about to come to a close as we prepare for Christmas and start the countdown to the New Year. Like many have said before, “the year seems to have just swept by so fast, too fast”.
Have we managed to achieve some of the goals we set out to do this year? Did we lose sight of what we wanted or should do this year? Perhaps our successes were small because we lost sight of our goals along the way. In the last few weeks of this year, it might be an opportune time to pull up our socks and get back on track.
I have been doing some soul-searching myself. Nothing wrong to do a quick SWOT analysis to appraise ourselves. It could do us more good than bad.
Here’s wishing everyone a MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR! Have a good holiday if you have already made plans to go away for a break. Travel safe and we shall see you in the New Year of 2025.
