Congratulations, Selangor MB and exco, now work hard

 

From Dr Anita C Pelly

To the incoming Selangor menteri besar and his team, congratulations on being given the mandate to govern for another five years.

You must be both euphoric and relieved by your win, but allow that to dissipate quickly so that you can get down to the business of governance immediately.

The next term is already upon you and many things need urgent attention.

While a postmortem of the election results might reveal where your strengths and deficiencies are, the most pressing issue is setting the economy right and getting to the heart of what the people of Selangor actually need. Not just what they want.

To my untrained eye, in the larger constituencies with a well-educated and high-earning populace, the issue of keeping the economy going with a stable government was a priority at this election. The less well-off, however, saw an ideological war and voted according to their conscience.

Be that as it may, the new state administration must govern to provide what the people need and deliver what they want.

Councillors must go to the ground to identify the daily bread-and-butter issues of their constituents. Do not just wait until the next election draws near to take action.

For example, we do not need freshly paved roads at every election. What we need are potholes properly fixed as soon as they appear.

Have a 24-hour team on standby to deal with such issues which can otherwise result in costly accidents and even loss of life.

In the same way, poverty cannot be resolved by continuous handouts. Introduce initiatives to make people resilient and hardworking.

Everyone can do their part, even the elderly who can help in recycling efforts and do community gardening.

Attend to the issue of unemployment among youths and arrest their disinterest in further education. Understand their need to be financially viable to sustain themselves and their economically-challenged families.

Conduct night classes for those who desire to further their education but still have day jobs to perform.

Create a culture of caring for each other and for the environment. Reward green communities with better landscaping and community facilities.

Keep the elderly fit and occupied by setting up parks with well-lit pathways to encourage them to exercise and facilities to engage in communal activities.

Encourage multicultural activities within each high-rise residential accommodation. Facilitate the mingling among people of all races to restore the muhibbah spirit that we all experienced in our younger days.

Many of our current leaders lack good governance skills. The economic performance of a state is not the only yardstick of your accomplishment. It is certainly not the only one which will see you re-elected next term.

People need to see and feel that their government works for them.

Stop dishing out public holidays at the drop of a hat. Consider the ramifications of your actions before you commit to opening your mouth and spewing out candy for the masses.

Many a business entity has spoken up about the economic ramifications when these sudden and unplanned public holidays spring up.

Many regular people miss hospital and other appointments, submissions, and other deadlines because hospitals, banks and post offices are closed.

Do you realise that the waiting list in government hospitals for a regular checkup or surgical appointment can run into months? So, imagine the chaos which ensues when they have to be rescheduled.

Some people travel long distances for these appointments and have pre-booked travel and accommodation which may not be refunded.

So, as a responsible government, special care must be taken, especially when your actions have far-reaching consequences.

Start acting with your head rather than your heart. As a responsible government happy to be given the mandate once more to be in power, you may still reward the public with a planned holiday provided it is notified well in advance so that changes can be made and appointments rescheduled beforehand, lessening the disruptions to many people’s lives.\

Think of everyone’s needs, not just your popularity. No doubt, it is impossible to make decisions that will please everyone all the time, but it is your job to attend to the rakyat’s needs first.

Financial handouts

Also, there is no point in giving a man a fish. Teach him to fish. Giving him a fishing rod may be a good first step.

Financial handouts may be necessary for many, but providing them with avenues of sustainability to enable them to earn a decent living despite their handicaps, living conditions, lack of education, and menial means require proper planning.

That is where we need you to provide the necessary infrastructure, strategic short-term learning, and skills-based courses which should be available to anyone interested, notwithstanding their age, gender, educational level or appearance.

Think small but broadly. Provide avenues similar to the TVET system inschools for the B40 and M40 communities. Continue to engage retirees to provide services if they have the skills. Revive traditional tradesmanship and handicraft ventures.

Make us as self-reliant as we can possibly be. We are progressing into an aged community very soon and we need to prepare our baby boomers for a productive and conducive life ahead.

A good government always looks ahead, sees possibilities and realises them. We are with you and want you to succeed.

Engage us and be an inclusive government. Once everyone sees the good you do for all communities, there will be less to complain about and our differences will dissipate.

Those who desire power but seek to divide to conquer must not be allowed to do so. Togetherness is our strength. Not mere tolerance anymore but acceptance.

There is no need to harp on things we cannot change. Instead, work with the things that we can.

Good luck, menteri besar and executive councillors. Work hard. At the rate things are going, you may not get another chance. - FMT

Dr Anita C Pelly is an FMT reader.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.