EDITORIAL: We Hold the Future in Our Hands at the State Elections

OUR kopitiams, wet markets and even community events are abuzz with the latest buzz words – State Elections. Everywhere we go, everyone’s asking “When Ah? Who Ah?”

It seems we are back to our favourite past time – gossiping and speculating when the State elections will be held and who will be contesting where. All the Legislative Assemblies in the 6 States have been dissolved and this has added fuel to when the Elections Commission will announce the nomination day; the period for campaigning and subsequently when Polling Day will be.

Whilst the list of candidates to be fielded have yet been announced by any political party, pundits are already drawing up their own list on who will be fielded and where they will be contesting. The “pesta” (carnival) feel is in the air and you can’t help but join in the fun chats and gossips that come with it.

For me, candidates to be fielded can be status quo. Incumbents should be allowed to defend their seats which they have served over the last five years. Let the voters decide if they feel their ADUN had served them well since the last State Elections.

My eyes will be on the State Executive Councillor positions which form the epitome of a State Government. Thank you to those who had served in these positions over the last 5 years. You have served your time up there and it’s time to let other ADUNs assume the positions to bring in new and fresh ideas; policies and perhaps even steward the State to greater achievements.

Why am I focusing on these positions? First and foremost, I believe no one is indispensable. We need fresh minds; as well as new blood to make up a dynamic team to lead Selangor into better times. Their predecessors may have set the foundation (or may have not, in which case they don’t deserve to be reappointed) for the future in the last 5 years and this baton can be handed over to the next batch of new State Excos to best advice and work with the Menteri Besar who will be appointed after the State Elections.

We need to cultivate and groom new leaders in the State Government, at the local council level and also at the community level. We are given the opportunity to overhaul our system every time a new State Government is to be formed. It’s like our car; we keep the car but we overhaul the engine; change the spark plugs; drain out the old engine oil and service our air-conditioning. At every point of servicing our car, we replace old parts with new ones.

It’s an opportune time for change!

Back to the chatter and gossips. This is expected to carry on over the next few weeks and probably spilling over to August. People are already asking which political parties are going to be contesting and where. Some have started asking, “Got ceramah ah? Where ah?” Perhaps if we give it a few more weeks, we will all be enlightened and we can all mark our calendars to attend all the ceramahs that we want and can.

But life continues for all of us while we wait for nuggets of news of the upcoming State elections. Work needs to be done; and bills need to be paid.

For the State elections, we will be going online as we did in GE-15. We will bring to you what’s happening around in Subang Jaya on our website www.sjecho.com.my as well as our Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/SJEcho.

You can also sign up on our Telegram Group https://t.me/+VG1OowHHnBy5Anfk to get live updates as it unfolds.

Have a good month ahead everyone. And let’s have a good, clean and safe elections.