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DAULAT TUANKU — WHEN THE SULTAN SPEAKS, THE PEOPLE HOPE FOR CHANGE

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Daulat Tuanku: A Call for Lasting Solutions to Flash Floods ENGLISH: DAULAT TUANKU — WHEN THE SULTAN SPEAKS, THE PEOPLE HOPE FOR CHANGE I would like to express my support for His Royal Highness the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, for continuing to raise concerns about the recurring flash floods that have caused hardship to residents in various parts of the state. Although I am not personally a victim of the frequent flash floods in Batu Caves, I feel for the residents who have had to endure repeated flooding, anxiety and the potential loss of their belongings. Their suffering deserves serious attention, not merely temporary relief after each incident. What encourages me is that the Sultan's intervention has helped bring renewed attention to a problem that has troubled residents for a long time. Following the attention given to the issue, a larger monsoon drain was recently constructed in Batu Caves. This is a welcome development, and I am glad th...

What is the role of a local couuncillor?

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This blog is written and translated with the help of ChatGPT. It is based on my prompts and things that I have been telling our councillors since 2008 when some of them were being used by the local council to face the wrath of the people, at a time when local council staff were looking at them as inexperienced people. Of all the local councillors that I have dealt with, only three stand out: Lee Khai Loon (now Machang Bubok Penang state consituency), Chan Chee Kong and Chua Yee Ling (who became state assemblywoman of Kuala Sepetang, Perak). This is a sample of an organisational chart of a local council based in Penang, where its 24 councillors have direct access to the mayor thus, bypassing any problematic department head within the council.  ENGLISH VERSION A Local Councillor: A Representative of the People or Merely a Council Functionary? A local councillor is appointed to represent the interests of the community, not merely to support the local authority or defend its shor...

Bayang-Bayang Langkah Sheraton dan Hilangnya Kredibiliti: Mengapa CSA Selangor-Perikatan Nasional Merupakan Judika Politik yang Berbahaya

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Isu cadangan Perjanjian Keyakinan dan Perbekalan (CSA) antara kerajaan negeri Selangor di bawah Pakatan Harapan (PH) dengan pembangkang Perikatan Nasional (khususnya Bersatu) hangat diperkatakan menjelang pembentangan belanjawan negeri. Walaupun dari segi teknikal politik persepakatan sebegini bukanlah sesuatu yang asing di Malaysia, langkah ini membawa risiko yang amat besar. Ia bukan sahaja mengancam reputasi pentadbiran negeri, malah boleh meranapkan legasi panjang yang dibina oleh PH di Selangor sejak gelombang reformasi bermula pada tahun 2008. Mengungkit Kembali Sejarah: Dari Era Khalid Ibrahim hingga Gelombang Kemenangan Selangor bukan sebarang negeri; ia adalah permata mahkota (crown jewel) politik pembangkang dan seterusnya Pakatan Harapan. Selepas kejayaan bersejarah merampas Selangor pada tahun 2008, PH (dahulunya Pakatan Rakyat) mengambil masa yang lama, pengorbanan yang tinggi, serta keyakinan rakyat yang jitu untuk membina reputasi pentadbiran yang bersih dan berdaya sa...

In English & BM: Bandar Moden Tapi Longkang Busuk: Sampai Bila Pelajar Antarabangsa Nak Pandang Subang Jaya Macam Ni?

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Scroll down to read the English version  Subang Jaya sering dibanggakan sebagai sebuah bandar raya moden yang meriah, pesat membangun, dan menjadi tumpuan utama pelbagai pusat pengajian tinggi terkemuka.  Setiap tahun, ribuan pelajar antarabangsa dari seluruh dunia datang ke sini untuk menyambung pelajaran memilih Bandar Sunway dan Subang Jaya sebagai rumah kedua mereka. Tetapi, imej apakah yang sebenarnya kita pamerkan kepada mereka? Apakah imej Sunway yang diberikan kepada pelajar asing?   Di satu sudut, mereka melihat sebuah bandar raya yang gah dengan pusat beli-belah bertaraf antarabangsa, universiti moden, dan sistem pengangkutan yang sibuk. Namun, apabila mereka melangkah keluar ke laluan pejalan kaki atau kawasan komersial, realiti pahit menanti: infrastruktur yang pincang, longkang awam yang kotor, tersumbat, dan berbau busuk di kawasan dekat Maybank dan Public Bank. Longkang dekat Jalan PJS11/9 juga penuh dengan mendapan Malah, kalau ada yang berkata tiada kelib...