By Sarawakian
Sometimes I wonder as to why we are in this state of affairs politically. There never seems to be a cease of pointless politicking and senseless statements. Malaysia is heading towards her 61st birthday on 16th September 2024. Have we ever got what we had voted for? I am beginning to doubt myself.
To be honest, many of us who have consistently looked forward for improvements since 2008 cannot be faulted for now being doubtful. Perhaps, a leopard cannot change its spots. Some characters have shown that they are just the same as those whom they have successfully vanquished.
In Subang Jaya, we continue to be left to answer for our own doings. Have we ever noticed that we still have rat infestation? We had an owl project; we had a rat bait and collection project and am sure many other efforts. Some were done just awhile before forgotten. Some ideas, rehashed. The result? Failure. The same could be said for the bicycle lane project. It seemed that once you tick the box, nothing else matters to continue improvements.
Today, we are still wondering as to why good trees felled during the LRT construction were instead replaced elsewhere. Perhaps they think that Subang Jaya from SS12, Bandar Sunway up till USJ initially do not need the replacement. So, it is best to replant elsewhere. That was what we read. Would you accept this reason? Landscaping in Subang Jaya is still not up to mark despite being a city status. For a place with many universities, world class private hospitals and a well-planned housing area, it is not wrong for us to want better in this area. Subang Jaya has been a city since 20th October 2020.
The efforts to make Subang Jaya more pedestrian friendly and connected is something still wanting. Just look at the recent improvements to the bus stops. Are these just structures devoid of bus schedules? Never mind that but are the walkways now connected to the commercial and residential walkways? Do we have better street lighting and back lane lighting? What about public toilets in the main commercial areas?
When it comes to technology, we seem to be bombarded with countless confusing apps. Did you know that even trying to use the Smart Selangor bus app or trying to find a bus schedule online is rather near impossible? The MBSJ app is totally useless as you can’t get it to sync with assessment payments made online via the website. Subang Jaya deserves better. Those responsible for such apps and website should be taken to task.
The road shoulders remain the same old same old. It is still mainly used as a pedestrian walkway. There has been no effort to create green buffer zones or improved hard and soft scapes. Bandar Sunway and parts of the CBD in Kuala Lumpur do better. We need to have a design where the road shoulder provides a buffer between the road and pedestrians and cyclists. Safety and security do not seem to be of any importance.
I am all for the local government elections. Too often now we see how indifferent are the setups when it comes to being a servant to the community. We are now seeing the same situation pre-2008 in Subang Jaya where those with authority just blame the population instead of trying to make a difference.
Did we all notice that councillors are all now trying to be more photogenic rather than providing us with an idea on what they would like to do for their kawasan and overall, with their fellow Councillors? This is what happens when we have councillors not elected but nominated by the ruling parties within the Government of the day.
In 2025, we would see a revision of our assessment taxes. What do we want for Subang Jaya? Other than the normal infrastructure and construction of facilities, we would rather have the city focused on community wellbeing in terms of planning, design AND execution.
To be honest, I still think that our voted representatives should look at the issues on the ground too when it comes to how the councillors perform. The local government head is also a nominated one. Subang Jaya has had 4 mayors since 2020. That is like one a year! Something is wrong with those who shuffle mayors or mayors to be around.
If we are not careful, we would soon see a wave of disgruntled voters coming in the next election. It would yet again show us that change is consistent with dissenting voices coming from those who are unhappy. Do not forget that automatic Undi18 provided an avenue for new opinions and voices. What is needed now is to get them to come out and vote. This is not dissimilar to what happened before when voter registration was not automatic and the time when many have coaxed and convinced even more to come out and vote.
Subang Jaya needs a reset to be relevant to the new generation. Very soon this scary Generation Alpha would come into the voting age years from now. Many of the youths and working class yearn for improvements to fit them. This is something which our current group of elected leaders have somehow forgotten. Perhaps positions and their ambition to go up higher in the political ladder have blurred their reason for being.
I would certainly no longer accept a reason from any voted representative that it is not their job to look at drains and grass or rats. I would not accept that they would say it’s the job of everyone. First, show your leadership. Councillors are nominated by your party. Their attitude and zeal to serve would show.
The problem we have today is the nonchalant attitude of our elected and nominated servants. The real lords are the people who put you there. We will help if we have clarity and purpose. We have done that before. We can also change when we feel sick and tired.
If all comes to naught, perhaps when the time comes and you come around campaigning, we would just say … Whatever Lah! and make our mark. I do not discount the possibility of even independent candidates winning.
