EDITORIAL: SUBANG JAYA 2023: WHAT DO YOU WANT MBSJ TO FOCUS ON?

I was recently with MBSJ mayor Dato Johary Anuar when he joined enforcement operations in Puchong and we had some time to chit-chat about current issues and upcoming initiatives. During the conversation, he mentioned that the City Council was organising a Town Hall Budget 2023 on August 20 2022 at Sunway Convention Centre.

This town hall meeting is for the council to seek feedback and suggestions from community leaders and other interested parties on how MBSJ’s budget should be allocated and to determine the direction it needs to take to bring improvements to the city. Dato Johary said he wanted to hear from residents and welcomed new ideas and approaches that the council could take to better improve its services, facilities and infrastructure.

From the chat, I gathered our mayor wants to hear out-of-the-box ideas and approaches. He wants to hear from residents, the stakeholders of the city on what they want included in the budget for next year. This friendly and approachable gesture from him made my eyes light up as this was probably the first time a mayor has actually opened himself up for suggestions.

This offer is a golden opportunity for us as residents to share our ideas constructively. It is an opening at the door for us to give our inputs and suggestions; and hopefully this will bring the improved changes we have been longing for since we obtained city status.

So, grab your pen and paper; jot down your ideas and thoughts. Send them to your respective councilors and indicate to them that these are your inputs for the Town Hall Budget 2023.

I am sure for many; the wish list would include asking MBSJ to provide rubbish bins for every household as had been done for residents in Shah Alam and Petaling Jaya. This topic has been debated excessively in chat groups but nothing has yet come out of it except just grumblings of why we don’t have one.

For me, MBSJ’s Budget 2023 should be more comprehensive and it should bring benefits to every level of society. As taxpayers, B40s, M40s and even T20s should feel the positive changes that the budget brings. No groups should be marginalised or left out. Everyone relies on the council for good roads, better traffic management, improved rubbish disposal or better maintenance of our infrastructure and facilities.

No one should be left behind in MBSJ’s Budget 2023.

August is here and it promises to be a very lively month as the country gears up to celebrate its 65^th year of independence. Many activities are being planned to celebrate Merdeka Day, Malaysia Day and even the Mid-Autumn Festival which are not too far off.

It’s the time of the year when hopefully everything picks up pace and we start moving in the direction of recovery while living with Covid-19 in our midst. People are everywhere these days and shopping malls are almost back to their pre-pandemic pace. While we exercise caution when in crowded public areas, there’s no reason for us to isolate ourselves by blaming the pandemic.

Let’s take a bold step forward together. Let’s not leave anyone behind; even if they have differing points of view.

Have a great month ahead folks!