No trepidation for the new doctor in the house

The recent May 9 polls unexpectedly propelled several rookie politicians right into the august halls of the Dewan Rakyat.

Tomorrow, during the first sitting of 14th Parliament, a radically changed bench of lawmakers will be taking oath as MPs for the first time – endorsed by a largely youthful and restless voter bank that longed for a change of government.

DAP’s doctor-turned-politician Bandar Kuching MP, Dr Kelvin Yii, is probably the archetype of the new legislative brigade that the rakyat had voted for – a driven go-getter with plenty of gumption.

Yii has none of the usual pretension that come with being a politician, although he was part of the long agitation which had called for change, or ‘ubah’ in DAP parlance.

Like a seasoned politician on the campaign trail, Yii had raised many issues that were relevant not just to voters in Sarawak but the whole of Malaysia.

Each time he had uttered kleptocracy and GST on the ceramah stage, the chorus from the fields pitched to a crescendo. And so too when he mentioned the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) or the Petroleum Development Act 1974 (PDA).

The new doctor in the august house knows, however, that the stump will be a far cry from the Dewan Rakyat.

Breaking new ground

“I will definitely be stepping into unfamiliar territory, but I am excited to be trusted with the platform to bring forth the voice of the people to Parliament and to fight for issues I am passionate about,” Yii told Malaysiakini in an interview.

According to the DAP lawmaker, he will be raising a string of questions to the relevant agencies on issues pertaining to his Bandar Kuching constituency, as well as those of national interests.

“I will be focusing on several main issues, namely, healthcare in the state and at the national level, as well as flood and drainage mitigation infrastructure on the local front,” he said.

On the macro level, Yii stressed that he will push for the quick formation of the cabinet committee to initiate steps for the devolution of powers from the central government to the state, in order to restore Sarawak’s status in the federation as enshrined in the MA63.

“I will call for a committee comprising of the representatives’ experts from various stakeholders including those from Sabah and Sarawak, to provide a detailed analysis and findings to be presented to Putrajaya within six months of its establishment.”

Healthcare concerns

Yii pointed out that the high cost of medical treatment continues to plague the low-income group, and vowed to ensure that Harapan’s Skim Peduli Sihat is implemented.

He said the scheme as envisaged will provide an RM500 annual allowance for the B40 lower income group, which can be used to pay for consulting panel doctors in the private sector to ease the congestion in public sector medical facilities. This will also cut waiting times faced by the patients.

The Bandar Kuching lawmaker will also be requesting for a progress report on the Seri Aman and Petra Jaya hospital projects in the state.

The former, which was slated to be completed this year based on promises by the previous BN administration, is far from seeing the light of day as the project has been delayed several times over.

“It is the same case with the Petra Jaya Hospital costing between RM400-RM500 million. I want to know what is the government’s plan now as the main contractor for the project, Zecon Berhad’s services has been terminated.

“I also want to know if the same fate will befall the contractor of the Seri Aman hospital, which was slated to be built at an estimated cost of RM150 million,” he said.

The Bandar Kuching MP also noted that he will raise the matter of the construction of the multilevel carpark project at the Sarawak General Hospital, as well as replacing the hospital's elevators.

Yii visited the construction site of the RM351 million project donning a safety helmet last Saturday, where he was briefed on the progress of the project by contractor Asaljuru Weida Sdn Bhd.

Speaking up

Yii is also gearing up to be an effective backbencher when Parliament convenes tomorrow.

“I will be part of the backbencher lineup and am looking forward to playing my role without bias and prejudice, to be vocal and vibrant, even if it means to keep the executive in check.

“My colleagues and I are ready to lend our voice, and will not merely act as ‘yes men’ or render rubber stamp approvals to every issue, as the previous backbenchers did under the BN coalition.

“I think our role as parliamentarians will only be meaningful to the voters and be effective when we seriously stand as the rightful first line of check and balance towards the executive,” he said.

Mindful of negative indices, Yii is also all out to raise the issue of corruption in the country and called for remedial and punitive action to be taken on institutions as well as individuals.

The country’s failure to resolve major corruption scandals is among the major reasons it fell seven spots to its worst-ever position in Transparency International's annual Corruption Perception Index last year.

“I will be pushing for anti-corruption measures to be taken at all level of government, as well as for such measures to be extended to the Sarawak state, and for action be taken on alleged individuals and corrupt leaders.

“I will also pointedly push for the MACC, which is now under the purview of Parliament, to state its intention and progress in the investigation into the alleged corruption, power abuse and unexplained wealth of the current governor, Abdul Taib Mahmud.

“I will be pushing for a fair and quick investigation into these allegations against the former state chief minister and call for the anti-corruption measures to be taken by the new government without fear or favour,” he added.

Asked what would be his initial challenges as a parliamentarian, Yii said the most crucial challenge will be trying to remember all the meeting rules and procedures of the house.

“It will take some ‘getting used to’ for me, being a newbie in parliament. It might take some time for me to understand and navigate through procedures and processes while effectively bringing the voice of my constituents to the floor.

“I have assisted both Julian Tan (former Stampin MP) and Chong Chieng Jen (Stampin MP) in Parliament, so to a certain extent, I am familiar with parliamentary procedures, although it will be a different ball game being in the hot seat myself," he said.

Besides Chong, Yii noted that he has also received tips from fellow DAP lawmaker Hannah Yeoh – despite the fact that this will also be her first experience as a parliamentarian.  

“But since they have been both appointed as deputy ministers, and I will be part of the backbencher’s pact, I will also be inquiring, getting information and keeping them as the executives accountable as well."

Staying grounded

Yii, a firm believer in the "ground-connect" with the grassroots, has so far gained brownie points from his constituents as he is always seen as readily available.

“I think the best way to be a good parliamentarian is to be present on the ground and be sensitive of the issues that are close to the people.

“Thus, that is what I have been doing since the election victory, to take a deliberate step to better understand the pulse of my constituency, so I can better serve the people and uphold their interests."

According to Yii, he has so far met up with various government agencies, including local councils, the mayor and the many different stakeholders in his constituency, as he believes it is important to understand the needs on the ground.

“One of the most important things that I wish to establish is a better communication platform between me and my constituency. In this way, the people too will be aware of the issues that I have brought up in Parliament and the progress of such initiatives.

“A parliamentarian can only serve effectively when he is in touch with his people. Whether at the state or national level, the Malaysian voter should never be taken for granted.

"I guess many politicians have forgotten that to their peril." - Mkini