Special Thanks to Gobind, MP of Damansara

 

Persistence pays! Three years just to remove the humps. No thanks to MPS, former MP, Tony Pua, outgoing state assemblyman, Elizabeth Wong, state exco, Ng Sze Han and Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari. This is the three years of campaign that I have to go through. It also places my focus on MPS and Selangor as a whole. 

A video which I just received from a friend tells the full story. He wanted to know what happened. 

At last, common sense prevails. 

        To have a hump that damages the bottom deck of cars, especially cars with lower decks, simply does not make sense. Whatever the argument given by the Resident Association, the hump has finally been removed. 

        In fact, both humps should have been removed, but the one left behind is not as bad as the other one. 

        As I believe in harmony and co-existence, I will first give the benefit of doubt for the moment, although I know that if the car is fully loaded with people, it will still hit this hump albeit slightly. If I complain, it will always be based on facts --- and I will be very persistent until the problem is solved. 

        Since MPS chose not to remove it for now, if it still causes problems, the council will once again have to mobilise its team of two trucks, one backhoe and officers' van just to remove one hump, like what they did today. A road contractor can probably do it with just one lorry, three workers and a jack. 

        But why it took three years before MPS finally removed the humps? 

        (1) The lack of sensitivity to complaints exhibited by the President of the local council, its Head of Engineering, Town Planner and the Local Councillor towards complaints made. Letters written to the YDP Majlis, Town Planner and Head of Engineering were unheeded, and when explanation was given, all they were able to say was that the humps were built "according to specifications" or “there is no budget.”

        (2) Selangor State Government which was supposed to oversee the performance of the local council simply did not bother to solve the problem when complaints were first raised to their attention. 

        Despite numerous letters and emails sent to the Menteri Besar, Amirudin Shari and State Exco in charge of Local Government, Ng Sze Han, no action was taken all these past three years until this morning (see video). 

        This shows to me that Selangor has become a totally dysfunctional state, where the local government failed to address issues on the ground and the state government did not care. I wish their cars had to ride over these humps every day! 

Amirudin Shari (PKR)

Ng Sze Han, State Exco (DAP)

        A friend from Ipoh sent me the above message. If someone from Ipoh could say this, I do not see why Ng Sze Han, for example, was arranged by his senior to come down to the ground to see for himself my complaint together with a local state assemblyman. 

But, Sze Han chose not to even come. Although I have not met him personally or know him, I have given up on him after trying to explain to him the complaint. 

        To me, he is no difference to a former state exco from MCA, Tang See Hang when we had issues such as

(a) No land title for properties,

(b) No proper access road into housing development,

(c) 'shit' literally coming out from residents' toilets due to backflow and a treatment plant that was under capacity,

(d) use of lori hantu in housing estate. Lori hantu was not supposed to be used on public roads.

(e) illegal open burning of construction wastes at night

(f) a host of other issues relating to the developer. 

(g) placing the pasar malam on a main road while residents had to take a detour to their own homes.  

        Despite having related the issues to him, Tang See Hang did not act. Never once did he come to the ground, although former MP Chan Kong Choy and Deputy Housing Minister, Azmi Khalid came to see the complaints themselves. I was pleased to meet up again with (now Tan Sri) Azmi during Rafidah Aziz's book launch recently. 

        To be honest, Tang was one of the major reasons why I kickstarted a campaign against Barisan Nasional. While two other state exco from Gerakan, the late Dr Pius Martin and Ir Dato' Lum Weng Keong were often on the ground. Ever grateful to him, Dr Pius Martin was the one who responded to my request for trees along Persiaran Cemara. I recently met up again with Dato' Lum for breakfast after not meeting him for over 20 years. We are now friends. 

        (3) Two of the local councillors appointed by Tony Pua (DAP) were the main cause of the problem. Complaints to Pua and state representative Elizabeth Wong also was never heeded, and this no longer surprises me as both Pua and Wong totally lost touch with thr constituents after the Sheraton move.

         I complained to their superiors in DAP and PKR for more than two years that these two local councillors were playing local politics. 

        These humps would not have been built by MPS had the local council and the local councillor sought the views of residents and listened to objections..

        When the second councillor came into the picture, I even briefed him about about the background. Yet, he chose to play local politics by making remarks such as, "You must be driving a ferari" and "Get 50 signatures from the residents and I will remove the humps." 

        When pressure finally came down hard from the senior party leaders, someone started to give all sorts of excuses. This is when the security guards were tasked to carry out surveys whether they want the humps or not. 

         In the first place, when FIVE humps were built, did anyone even carry out a survey or discuss whether it makes sense to have FIVE humps at the security guard area? I have asked the following questions, but no one could give me a satisfactory answer: 

(a) This picture clearly shows that the two humps leading to our homes on road marked '1' were built higher compared to the other three humps. Why? 

Tell me who would not be angry if his car keeps hitting the hump? 

(b) Why did the RA need five humps here in the first place? Vehicles would automatically stop at the auto-gate; otherwise, what are the autogates for? 

Even after the motorists have entered the road marked '1', there is another hump just a few meters away at the junction. This was earlier placed there with the help of Khairuddin ADUN Paya Jeras for a strategic reason. 

Put it bluntly, there are no reasons for the two humps built higher to hit the bottom of car decks. Maybe not done intentionally, but at least when complaints reached the ears of the authority, MPS, state exco and Menteri Besar should at least dig their ears and listen to what makes common sense, ESPECIALLY since this photograph has been shared so widely and to them directly. 

Knowing the kind of leaders we have in Selangor, I will no longer engage with them privately. I will not spare them come the state election.

(c) Why three humps (although lower) on the road marked '2' below, especially when the exit autogate is forever left open? Any criminal would have driven past these three humps and escaped! 

Who Finally Solved this Problem?

      The newly elected Member of Parliament, Gobind Singh Deo met me in January, and he saw for himself the problems on the ground. 

        From as early as BEFORE the General Election, he had given me word that the problem would be solved "soon". 

       Of course, the promises one after another which he gave must have come from someone either at the local council or the councillor himself. I think it happened at least on four occasions, but the problem with the hump persisted. 

        On Thursday night, I decided to give another last round of appeal. 

        Finally, I believe someone must have cracked the whip before MPS did the unexpected on Friday morning. 

        So, now my Ferari  (mind you, I can't even spell Ferrari correctly, what's more to own one) can drive past the guard house without hitting the hump. 

        Now, I don't need to ask for 50 signatures. Don't tell me that I do not know how some organsations are good at faking even signatures in petitions. I have seen enough. 

        Now, I owe Gobind a good lunch, and I am happy to assist him and the unity government in dealing with recalcitrant local council staff. If similar issues like this are not nipped at the bud, things will continue to deteriorate. 

        I want to encourage all Malaysians, if they have a case, they have to be persistent. This is how unfortunate it is when we have government agencies and private companies that fail to understand good customer service. I will tell you more stories of how persistent I have been, and why I end up solving problems for poeple. Here are just a few: 

https://help-bring-about-changes.blogspot.com/2023/02/999-went-to-police-district-headquarters.html 

https://help-bring-about-changes.blogspot.com/2023/02/from-hak-milik-sementara-to-geran.html

        Ringleaders at local councils, State Governments, Government Agencies and in the private sector, in the factories or service department have to be removed, and once this is done, good staff will start to shine. There is no business except in showing that you mean business. I am surprised how factories in Rawang can be told by Amirudin that their quit rent has been increased by Azmin Ali and there was nothing Amirudin could do about it. Perhaps, it is time to kick out PH in Selangor since they have lost touch with the struggles of the people, no?

        My hope is now on the government formed after GE15. All the best to Anwar Ibrahim and his cabinet. They have a big task, which many of us are more than happy to assist, so that others in the future need no longer have to be faced with such a similar problem. 

        Just yell, and we will help out based on our years of experience in managing human resources. Unless the law is reformed, do not expect any change in the local councils, yet the third tier of government is the most important where the people are concerned. 

        Gone are the days when government servants think that their jobs are secure unlike during the colonial days when you can rest assured of a lifetime employment once you become a government servant. Such mindset has to change in this day and age. 

* * *

        There are more things that MPS has not solved or chose to delay in solving. I have yet to check, for example, if they have removed the poles that became a barrier during an emergency. 

        The culprit who did this relocation of signboard should be hauled up, too. I can show you more signboards that were simply placed on locations that were hardly strategic. It's all a waste of public funds. Dato' Seri, please see for yourself. 

        Just browsing through this blog, you will see what have been left outstanding by MPS. I have asked Gobind to get them to provide the deadlines that they would solve the problems. Without any Action Plan, these issues would be conveniently forgotten.