mackzulkifli
14-10-2004, 10:18 AM
Politics, politicians and public representation seem to be a hot topic here. If it was not, than something would be wrong, as it is a subject that critically influences communities and the lives of people who live there. However, before another issue sparks further debate on the effectiveness of our representative and the council service, I would like to start one on our expectations and perhaps the role they play.
A politician is what we call a person who is involved in the politics of being elected or helping someone of his choice get elected. Hence, the chaps sitting in the coffee shop who are carded members of any party are actually politicians.
Once elected to office, they become public representatives, no longer merely politicians. They represent everyone, no matter if you voted for them or not. They must represent everyone collectively. Everyone must accept them, at least until the term is over.
Besides being representatives overseeing public administrators and policy makers that guard his representation, his was to see that innovation and progress was being implemented with the tax dollars collected from his constituency, so more tax dollars may be collected for more progress.
When there aren't enough tax dollars, he must be innovative in finding them so that his community still benefits. In terms of economics, he plays a crucial role in developing it, enabling not only wealth creation mechanisms but also opportunities for the less priveleged.
How can he do that? Well, there are many ways but there are conservative ways and there the more innovative ways of governance. Let's look at Subang Jaya, the place where we call home.
Ours is an evolved society, one that has reached self-healing stage. The Gerai and Roadworks are clear examples of a society trying to mend what they deem as wrong. Ours is a society that is knowledgable, fiercly protective and when we feel we have been wronged, gather with zest and speed to react and be heard. This has made our community one of the best run and interactive public service council around.
Yet we find that more can be done. Only conservative progress is being done, i.e. roads, new schools, parks and recreation an public IT centres. These are good things and deserve praise, but where is the innovation.
Innovation like ensuring businesses in the area who profit from the community are doing their part to improve the people they profit from. Simply put, the merging of economics and social structure. Detroit was built by the US auto industry because town planners and local government made sure of it.
We have huge retail businesses that thrive on the wealth of the community. Carrefour, Giant even Tesco rely on the communities around them for business. They could be persuaded to initiate public services beyond the odd ly sponsored bus stands and purchasing billboard space as revenue to the council.
A computer lab for the underpriveledged, exercise machines for the elderly and sponsored seminars and courses about nutritional food and education. The list is endless. Forwarded correctly, they would be more than happy I am sure, as it serves to reaffirm their brand value and endear them to the community. It's good PR for them and good value to the community that, for every 10,000 households spends an average of RM600.00 a month gives a turnover of more than RM1.2 million a month. How many households do we have and many of us spend more than that for retail consumption.
The colleges, where many of our children will end up can offer scholarships to the brainy but lesser endowed financially or help public schools in primary and secondary level by getting students to do volunteer work in coaching weaker pupils.
The list is endless.
Whose job is it anyway. The people who live in the community can't be expected to think of these things. It's hard enough making a living, keeping up house and caring for the family and it takes a total of 2 hours to get and come back from work for some of us. Who has time to be inventive and innnovative. It's enough just to be motivated enough to care to be posting and reading in this forum and fighting their perceived injustice.
My question is, who delivers the innovation that makes life better here in Subang Jaya. Great job done, no argument. Got problems, there's always the desire to sit, listen and finds a solution.
Is that enough? Perhaps it is. After all, a politician has merely to build a vision of what should be expected, and when elected a public representative, build a vision that expectations are being met.
A politician is what we call a person who is involved in the politics of being elected or helping someone of his choice get elected. Hence, the chaps sitting in the coffee shop who are carded members of any party are actually politicians.
Once elected to office, they become public representatives, no longer merely politicians. They represent everyone, no matter if you voted for them or not. They must represent everyone collectively. Everyone must accept them, at least until the term is over.
Besides being representatives overseeing public administrators and policy makers that guard his representation, his was to see that innovation and progress was being implemented with the tax dollars collected from his constituency, so more tax dollars may be collected for more progress.
When there aren't enough tax dollars, he must be innovative in finding them so that his community still benefits. In terms of economics, he plays a crucial role in developing it, enabling not only wealth creation mechanisms but also opportunities for the less priveleged.
How can he do that? Well, there are many ways but there are conservative ways and there the more innovative ways of governance. Let's look at Subang Jaya, the place where we call home.
Ours is an evolved society, one that has reached self-healing stage. The Gerai and Roadworks are clear examples of a society trying to mend what they deem as wrong. Ours is a society that is knowledgable, fiercly protective and when we feel we have been wronged, gather with zest and speed to react and be heard. This has made our community one of the best run and interactive public service council around.
Yet we find that more can be done. Only conservative progress is being done, i.e. roads, new schools, parks and recreation an public IT centres. These are good things and deserve praise, but where is the innovation.
Innovation like ensuring businesses in the area who profit from the community are doing their part to improve the people they profit from. Simply put, the merging of economics and social structure. Detroit was built by the US auto industry because town planners and local government made sure of it.
We have huge retail businesses that thrive on the wealth of the community. Carrefour, Giant even Tesco rely on the communities around them for business. They could be persuaded to initiate public services beyond the odd ly sponsored bus stands and purchasing billboard space as revenue to the council.
A computer lab for the underpriveledged, exercise machines for the elderly and sponsored seminars and courses about nutritional food and education. The list is endless. Forwarded correctly, they would be more than happy I am sure, as it serves to reaffirm their brand value and endear them to the community. It's good PR for them and good value to the community that, for every 10,000 households spends an average of RM600.00 a month gives a turnover of more than RM1.2 million a month. How many households do we have and many of us spend more than that for retail consumption.
The colleges, where many of our children will end up can offer scholarships to the brainy but lesser endowed financially or help public schools in primary and secondary level by getting students to do volunteer work in coaching weaker pupils.
The list is endless.
Whose job is it anyway. The people who live in the community can't be expected to think of these things. It's hard enough making a living, keeping up house and caring for the family and it takes a total of 2 hours to get and come back from work for some of us. Who has time to be inventive and innnovative. It's enough just to be motivated enough to care to be posting and reading in this forum and fighting their perceived injustice.
My question is, who delivers the innovation that makes life better here in Subang Jaya. Great job done, no argument. Got problems, there's always the desire to sit, listen and finds a solution.
Is that enough? Perhaps it is. After all, a politician has merely to build a vision of what should be expected, and when elected a public representative, build a vision that expectations are being met.