OMG! Another Teng Chang Khim story!

Teng Chang Khim has supporters as well as enemies

Thomas Lee

(MySinchew) - According to the Metro report published on Wednesday 8 September 2010, Sungai Pinang assemblyman Teng Chang Khim’s name is found to be written all over the place at public parks in his constituency.

Chang Khim, who is also the Speaker of the Selangor state assembly, has apparently adopted a publicity blitz strategy by having his name painted on benches, gazebos and playground equipment installed by him from his elected representative's annual allocation.

Chang Khim was quoted by the Metro report as saying that he had embarked on the publicity strategy after the Pakatan Rakyat took control of the Selangor state government following the March 2008 general election to show the consitituents what the new Pakatan Rakyat administration is doing for the people.

Chang Khim said he had spent 30% from his RM500,000 annual allocation to provide park facilities in his constituency.

He said that most of these venues used to be just empty fields but now they have benches, gazebos and mini playground facilities, obviously due to his efforts.

"The facilities will encourage the residents, including children, to come out of their homes and get involved in outdoor actitivies as a community,” he said.

Obviously what Chang Khim has done for his constituents is commendable and worthy of emulation by other elected representatives, but the way he has used or abused the facilities paid for by public funds by promoting his own personal image is certainly questionable and impugnable.

The veneration of his name on public properties is not only in bad taste, smacking of egotism and self-importance, but surely an abuse of power.

As a veteran member and leader of the DAP, Chang Khim should know that since the party's founding on 18 March 1966, it has always frowned on the practice of talking and promoting about oneself excessively because of an undue sense of self-importance.

Hence, except for one or two black sheep from Perak, none of the party leaders has received civil awards, unlike the Barisan Nasional component party leaders who are crazy over titles and civil awards. Every other MCA leader, for example, is a titled personality, and I am sure all the MCA state leaders in Penang would have been made Datuks if it is the MCA running the government there.

Although veteran DAP leaders like Dr Chen Man Hin, Lim Kit Siang, Karpal Singh, Dr Tan Seng Giaw, etc, certainly deserved to be given the highest civil awards for their many years of service and sacrifices for the country, yet none of them has been given any award even after the Pakatan Rakyat took control of several states. As the Chief Minister of Penang, Lim Guan Eng should be bestowed the Datuk Seri title in acknowledgement of the appellation of the highest office in the state, yet he has not been bothered about such designation, but concerned only about how to give the Penangites the best quality of life and lifestyle.

It is simply flabbergasted that a person of Chang Khim's disposition should resort to the rather sham and cheap way to promote himself. The whole fiasco makes him look fatuous and foolish, and reflects badly on him as one out to promote himself as a personality cult image.

I don't think that such a publicity gimmick is practised anywhere else in the world, with the exception of North Korea where Kim Il-Sung is the country's Eternal President and venerated as a cult personality, with everything named and attributed to him.

Chang Khim was probably given the wrong advice by those around him, and so got into what I think is going to be a really grimy and messy scandal which will be exploited to the fullest by the political enemies of the DAP. I believe the MCA and Umno hawks are now sharpening their claws to launch another of their Selamatan Selangor attacks.

The damage is done and Chang Khim is now going to be under siege. What he should do as part of the damage control is to eat the humble pie, and admit his mistake, apologise for the lapse, and remove his name from all the facilities.

Nothing else will be able to redeem his stricken integrity and wounded probity. - MySinchew