By Sarawakian
As I sit on a rainy 1st of May 2025, many would be enjoying their public holidays. Yet, many still are also working. That is why I always think that national or state holidays only benefit some but not all.
The month of April was certainly a roller coaster. On the early morning of 1st of April, which was the 2nd day of Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Subang Jaya was rocked with social media news feed of a fire shooting up from a gas line in Putra Heights.
I have to salute the NGOs, authorities and even the Government; both state and Federal for being so polished in handling the disaster. Every day and every week to this day, there are communications of assistance and timelines which were also delivered. Aid was paramount, humans and animals alike. The best part was. No politicising of the whole exercise.
It was also this month that the tariff yo-yo began with the USA and China. However, my kopi-o was still not affected and neither was my nasi lemak bungkus. So, maybe I am safe for now. All this talk is just everyone thinking prices would go up. Then again, I wonder if we put tariffs on incoming. As consumers, prices would go up if in coming gets more expensive.
I think now, with my limited brain knowledge, those who are grumbling are likely the business people doing exports to USA. With higher tariffs imposed by USA, it would mean the incoming from Malaysia would cost more for the citizens of USA. That would perhaps change their order habits and make an impact with the Malaysian exports. But I am not an expert in economics. I leave this to the experts to make out the analysis.
Malaysia also had a visit by the President of China, Xi Jin Ping. If memory serves me right, this would be his 2nd visit as President to Malaysia. The first official visit as President was in 2013. At that time, Najib Tun Razak was the Prime Minister. This time, it is the time of Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim. Coincidentally, Malaysia is also the chair of ASEAN this year and made this visit even more memorable. The 3-day visit was a success in view. A total of 31 sets of Memorandum of Understanding were signed. For me, I liked that the mutual visa free arrangement that has been extended for a further 5 years!
It was also the celebration of Easter by Christians worldwide on Sunday, 20th April 2025. Those in Rome would have been blessed to see Pope Francis appear and deliver his greetings and “Urbi et Orbi” (which translates as “to the city and to the world”) message. He later went onto his mobile and had a drive through with the people at the square. No would have expected to receive the news of his passing at 7.35am in his home at Santa Marta. The 266th Pope, aged 88 from Buenos Aires, Argentina, Jorge Mario Bergoglio (Pope Francis) left us on that Easter Monday.
A new Pope would be elected by the Cardinals in the Conclave which would begin on 7th May 2025. The 267th Pope would be revealed after white smoke appears from the Sistine Chapel. Thereafter would be the proclamation of “Habemus Papam” (translates to “We have a Pope”).
April was really a month full of events. It is already May. We are heading towards the middle of the year 2025. The weather in Subang Jaya is still rather erratic. As I sit writing this in the afternoon of 1st May 2025, rain has fallen, and lightning streaked the sky with a thunderous boom following closely. It has been like this since the start of the year. Unpredictable weather.
In Subang Jaya, our roads need to be patched back properly. Many potholes have appeared due to the rain and sudden flash floods. Having spot repair is no longer acceptable as it causes uneven surfaces. The area where trees have been felled for the overhead road project near DaMen Mall has since ceased due to costs related to technical challenges, we read. The bridge crossing the road linking DaMen and the LRT station has been dismantled and the roads in front of USJ 2 were laid bare as is. It looks like an abandoned site. I wonder if MBSJ would have the place redesigned and fixed. If the bridge is not going to be replaced, then it is important to make a wider pedestrian road crossing. It is good governance.
There is also a need for MBSJ to review the bicycle lanes. These lanes are now part of the inner lane of an existing road. Somehow, it is extremely dangerous. It is better to relook at the road shoulders in the whole of Subang Jaya and focus on providing better pedestrian walkways and bicycle lanes with a planted buffer from the main road lanes. I am sure there is a standard design in the design guidelines for Local Governments. The councilors and ADUN could help check on them.
Would May bring a better month for Subang Jaya? We hope so. It would be nice if the above could be made a priority this year. We had so much drama last month in Subang Jaya that a check on reality for better infrastructure would be good. The vehicular traffic in Subang Jaya is getting too heavy. The whole stretch from Main Place towards SS14 and on the parallel towards SS19 can be choc a bloc each morning and evening. Perhaps some studies are required by the authorities to improve on the flow and the reduction of speeding vehicles.
Have a good May Month Subang Jaya!!!!
